BYRON CENTER — Music can especially be helpful for the mental and physical health for our seniors. A Byron Center senior living facility is helping their residents enjoy music through a bell choir. People living at Care Cardinal Byron Centerhave enjoyed the bell choir for the last five years. They say the simple activity brings a lot of joy to their day.
The sound of bells ringing through the halls of Care Cardinal Byron Center as residents range from 65 to 100 years old. Nancy Crumback developed this bell choir years ago helping these seniors through music.
"When we come together, we make this music together. People feel useful and participatory. It's just wonderful," said Nancy Crumback, bell choir instructor.
Once a month this group comes together for an hour playing a variety of songs.
"We have a repertoire of about 25 songs so I change it up. I use folk songs, hymns, some classics, we do Christmas set at Christmas time and then we even have an Elvis piece," said Crumback.
Nancy makes it simple for the residents… each song is broken down by colored cards corresponding with color coded bells. The cards are arranged to fit the melody and played out in rhythm.
"All they have to do is ring their bell when they see their color. You do not have to read music. And anybody can do it," said Crumback.
Easy for all to play along -- and those who participate enjoy it.
"We have a good time. I think all of us will say that," says Sally Downey, Care Cardinal resident.
"It's a good exercise. It just has so many components to it. It's you're around you're with your fellow residents. You laugh and you have a good time and you feel real good when you when you leave. It's uplifting," says Mary Kovac, Car Cardinal resident.
The music and the motion coming together helps seniors engage their whole brain which can be crucial as we age.
"When you have music, as you get older, you have less depression and anxiety, you have less stress. And it even lowers your heart rate and your blood pressure. And when you hear the laughter and everything you just know it's it's adding joy enrichment to people's lives," says Crumback.
The CDC says 13.5 % of seniors who require home health care can be depressed which makes programs like this bell choir all the more important.
