"OK, be gentle," Freddie says, as he leans in to see a patient that's asked to touch his big red nose.
asserted
that → say → nose
"Ow!" he yelps, and the room giggles.
asserted
room → yelp → ?
Freddie the Clown is visiting a ward at the Kingston Centre, a geriatric care and rehabilitation centre in Melbourne's south-east run by Monash Health.
asserted
Freddie → visit → Health
At first, these patients were not pleased with the idea.
asserted
patients → please → idea
"Initially, I thought a clown, ugh, great, you know," Sue says, rolling her eyes.
asserted
Sue → think → eyes
Three months into the trial, Freddie has won over Sue and the room in general.
"Now I think, 'Wow Freddie, you are really good.
asserted
you → win → general
make everyone happy'," says Sue.
asserted
Sue → make → ?
The man behind the nose, David Wells, has had a 47-year career in performing arts, from treading the boards to busking the streets.
asserted
man → have → streets
"When I'm out there entertaining, it's all about me," he says, pretending to strum an imaginary guitar.
"
asserted
he → entertain → guitar
Plus, he's undergone a one-year "clownternship" with Clown Doctors Australia.
asserted
he → undergo → Australia
Clownternships and care
About 100 clown doctors — or laughter care specialists — have this year visited more than 100,000 patients at hospitals and aged care facilities around Australia.
asserted
doctors → visit → Australia
Clown Doctors Australia artistic director David Symons says they need "a strong performance background, sensitivity and empathy".
asserted
they → say → background
"We go through a long audition process and training process, to learn how to bring those skills effectively to the hospital settings," he says.
asserted
he → go → settings
Essentially it comes down to connecting with the audience as individuals — meeting them where they are in their mental or physical state, and uplifting them.
asserted
they → come → them
It might be raucous and loud, but it is what that person needs now," Symons says.
uncertain
Symons → need → what
The gig that gives back
In this room, where the oldest person is in her 90s, the audience wants some songs with a smile.
asserted
audience → give → smile
Freddie has performed Show Me the Way To Go Home and You Are My Sunshine with everyone — even hospital staff — joining in.
asserted
everyone → perform → Way
"I didn't used to like clowns and then I met Freddie and he's turned me the other way," she says, giggling.
"
asserted
she → use → me
He always remembers me.
asserted
He → remember → me
He also has a song made up for me.
asserted
He → have → me
He remembers where I'm from, asks me questions that he incorporates in the song."
asserted
he → remember → song
The ward's nurse unit manager, Ashley Southin, says the trial has been a resounding success so far, with the laughter contagious.
asserted
laughter → say → ?
"It's made the ward more enjoyable," she says.
asserted
she → make → ?
"I have a number of physios that are keen to join them and follow the clown doctors around.
asserted
that → have → doctors
"The patients, they look forward to it, and they love when the staff join in."
asserted
staff → look → it
"It's meaningful, it's rewarding, it is also outrageously fun," Freddie says.
"
asserted
Freddie → say → ?
I come home emotionally spent, because the stakes are high.
asserted
stakes → come → ?
The Aporia