Stan,

Regarding the mp3 players, my thinking was more in the line of bringing in musical entertainment for their patients more often. You see the only “for free” musicians in my area are wonderful people who live close enough to the facility to go in and play the out-of-tune house piano once a week for an hour or so when they have the time. With the cost of gas and dry cleaning these days a musician would be nearly 50.00 out of pocket before he leaves home. Not to mention the cost of keeping your instruments and show in general current. This is in my opinion is one main reason the volunteer music acts are dwindling.

What I was proposing to Don for his property was to have his director budget around 5,000 per year for music acts. And again a good portion of these funds can come from outside the facility via fund raising events orchestrated by family members and staff. This should afford them a minimum of 1 music act per week.

For the patients who are still mobile and in control of their senses it gives them something to look forward to every week. And for the memory care patients it not only gives them an event that will help them with their memory but because of this it will help them feel it was an event that they took part in.

These places have budgets, period. Yes it is a noble deed to play for free and there are some places where I not only play for free but help with fundraisers but make no mistake about it they all have entertainment budgets, it's just how they choose to spend those budgets. As you stated they may be labeled "non-profit" but there is tons of money passing through those doors everyday.

Later,

Danny C.
www.dannycampo.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Danny-Campo/379776252109306?skip_nax_wizard=true

The More You Drink The Better I Sound