Though care managers and their personnel know full well just how much older Americans have to offer, misconceptions about the retired population are rampant among younger generations, who are all too quick to write off these individuals as inconsequential. This ill-conceived notion may be why recent news of a mysterious older woman who wowed the the staff and customers at a neighborhood music store in La Crosse, Wisconsin, by sitting behind a set of drums and playing an incredible and energetic set struck such a chord across the country.
The video, which the Coalition Drum Shop posted on YouTube earlier this month, quickly went viral, with store owners asking for any information about the “mystery grandma.” On July 19, the regional news outlet News 8 identified the woman as 63-year-old Mary Hvizda, who has reportedly been an avid musician since she was 16.
Initially inspired to take up the instrument by her brother, Hvizda has spent decades touring with various local bands, and told News 8 that she often visits the drum shop to play a set to satisfy her “music urge.”
“I was having a lot of fun, I really was,” Hvizda said of the spirited drum solo that has made her a local celebrity.
The takeaway for today’s care managers
As a recent French study on Alzheimer’s disease has indicated, remaining engaged mentally, physically and socially can play a substantial role in the continued health and quality of life enjoyed by older individuals. Care managers can attend to this need by introducing telecare services like Independa that enable their care recipients to remain in constant contact with their loved ones, stay abreast of social events within their residential communities and keep their cognitive abilities active with brain teasers and other applications.
Contact us today through our online form to learn more about Independa’s caregiver support technology.
