Ryan is Carer at Excelcare's Primrose Croft Care Home. He is a kind-hearted, caring and compassionate member of the team, who puts the residents, their health and wellbeing first.
As well as his talents in care, Ryan is also a professional swing vocalist. He practices and performs in his own time, but has performed to residents at the home before and received lots of praise. His music aims to bring joy and encourage reminiscence through the nostalgic songs he plays and costume he wears.
With the current outbreak of Covid-19 entertainers are not permitted to visit care homes. "Having no entertainment coming in or out of the homes is already having a huge impact on mental health and general moral", said Ryan.
"Most residents I come into contact with count down the days until the next entertainer visit the home, and obviously, unfortunately, that's not possible in the current climate."
Knowing his talents could help brighten people's days, but being 'locked-down' to one care home meant he could only perform for the people at Primrose Croft. He wanted to make sure others could join in too though, so Ryan decided to host a Facebook live stream that could be shared with other care homes, who could join for some free, feel-good music.
The live stream kick-started with a resident favourite, "When you're smiling' by Frank Sinatra. This got everyone in a positive mood and people began singing and tapping along from their chairs. Residents from all over were joining too and sharing positive comments about his voice and how it was being enjoyed at their care homes.
His performance really helped to lift the mood at Primrose Croft and the other care homes that joined. It was a very selfless act of kindness that made a real difference to many and made them temporarily forget about everything else going in the world.
Ryan, you're a very special and valued member of the Excelcare family. Thank you for being a positive voice for change and ensuring that Covid-19 doesn't knock the spirits of people living in care.
To watch the live stream from this afternoon or to find out more about Ryan's vocal talents, click here.