Thompson House, a division of Northern Dutchess Residential Health Care Facility, Rhinebeck, NY

Thompson House, also known as The Northern Dutchess Residential Health Care Facility, is located on the grounds of the Northern Dutchess Hospital In Rhinebeck, New York. Its skilled nursing facility is home for 100 residents who need considerable help with daily living. Once a month, since mid-2018, Linda, and I put on a program called “Music and Memories.” For about a half-hour, while the residents are being brought to the room where the program is held, I play familiar folk, campfire and spiritual songs on my harmonica. Then, we review some songs which were popular when most of the residents were teenagers. For each song, we play a popular recording of the song and Linda muses about what memories it brings up for her. We do this, of course, to help our audience recall significant events in the lives they led before they became incapacitated. If there is time, we do some sing-alongs which I accompany on my baritone ukulele and then we end up with a rousing Louis Armstrong recording of “When You’re Smiling” which we hope leaves them with a smile even if some of the elicited memories have been sad ones.