UK Nursing Home Residents Recreate Iconic Album Covers during Quarantine
Residents at a nursing home in England discovered the ideal way to entertain themselves amid the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. They recreated iconic album covers of famous musicians.
On July 11, Robert Speker, the activities manager at Sydmar Lodge Care Home in Edgeware, England, shared the residents' photos on his Twitter account.
Among the album covers the residents recreated are Adele's "21," Taylor Swift's "1989," Michael Jackson's "Bad," Madonna's "True Blue," and Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA."
The post went viral with over 43,000 retweets and nearly 136,000 likes as of this writing. Many users also expressed their admiration for the photos in the comment section.
"Love this, Robert. What a great way to keep everyone's spirits up," one person commented. "Must have been a tough 4 months for you all. Best wishes to everyone at the home."
Another user said that Speker's post is so moving. She added that the pictures remind her of her 97-year-old grandmother.
Someone else commented that the photos are "pretty cool." The Twitter user then shared about his father, who is also in assisted living.
In an interview with TODAY, Speker explained that he tries to keep his residents engaged with "topical" plans. At that point, they immediately got on board with his idea.
According to him, the response to the pictures has been very positive.
He explained that he wanted to accomplish a blend of current and classic albums that were popular. After he had picked the albums, he then had to choose which musician best suited which resident.
"I wanted the resident's personality to shine through. I feel I managed that, unbelievably," Speker said. "The reaction they had was so lovely." Speker took and edited the photos himself. And when necessary, he also did the makeup.
According to him, the response to the pictures has been very positive. He added that he feels very overwhelmed and humbled by the reaction.
In a related news, Bryn Celyn Care Home in Maesteg, Wales, is also getting innovative to keep its residents entertained while remaining inside, as reported by CNN.
The medical attendants helped them play a life-sized version of "Hungry Hungry Hippos," a classic children's game. The aim of the game is for each "hippo" to catch as many marbles as possible with its mouth.