"This broke me": Heartwarming video of isolating Leeds care home residents doing karaoke to lift their spirits

Residents at a Leeds care home have started weekly karaoke sessions to lift their spirits while in isolation.
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Sherri Hector shared heartwarming footage of residents singing along to Rodgers and Hammerstein classic You'll Never Walk Alone at Victoria House Care Home in Belle Isle.

Among them was her 92-year-old granddad, Dennis Hector, who has been singing and dancing away whenever the music plays.

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Visits to care homes are banned to prevent the spread of coronavirus among older people, so Victoria House staff Clair Matthews and Ann Murgatroyd arranged and took part in the karaoke to help lift spirits.

Dennis enjoying the karaoke at Victoria House care home (photo and video: Jackie Buckley)Dennis enjoying the karaoke at Victoria House care home (photo and video: Jackie Buckley)
Dennis enjoying the karaoke at Victoria House care home (photo and video: Jackie Buckley)

Sherri, a community matron and advanced nurse practitioner, who is also clinical lead for a Covid-19 'home team' in Bradford, said seeing the footage of her granddad enjoying himself "broke" her after gruelling shifts at work.

"Its so hard not seeing him," Sherri added. "I write to him three time a week."

Sherri, of Middleton, said father-of-four Dennis was "very funny with a dry sense of humour" and enjoyed a pint of Guinness.

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He used to work at Lax and Shaw glass manufacturers in South Accommodation Road.

Karaoke sessions have become a weekly fixture (photo and video: Jackie Buckley)Karaoke sessions have become a weekly fixture (photo and video: Jackie Buckley)
Karaoke sessions have become a weekly fixture (photo and video: Jackie Buckley)

Jackie Buckley, care manager at Victoria House, helps to run the home with her brother Eduard Lavelle, the registered manager.

Their parents Mary and Eddie Lavelle, bought the former pub in 1994 and turned into a 43 bedroom care home.

Both Mary and Eddie, 75, still work at the home, but have had to self-isolate lately due to their age.

Jackie said: "We are doing OK in these difficult times.

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"We have a wonderfully loyal team of staff, some of which have worked here in excess of 15 years and we are all one big family.

"The hardest part we have found at present is the fact that families are not allowed to visit to help prevent the infection making it’s way into the home - especially heartbreaking for everyone on Mothers Day.

"For this reason, we have increased our focus on activities, messages and the recording of those messages, and where possible, have been sharing these with families so they don’t miss out.

"We have a lady who celebrated her ninetieth birthday on the Friday before Mothers Day so her son was sent photographs over email and we have a gentleman who has an upcoming birthday and his daughter and family have a FaceTime booked in on the day.

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"We couldn’t do any of the above of course without our wonderful care team and non-care team who come to work everyday to keep the service running and our residents safe and well cared for.

"A big 'thank you' to them from all of us."

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