if you're doing it really well. its a tough job. you wouldn't really do it for nothing - you couldn't afford to.

you need to amplify your voice. many old people have hearing difficulties, and yet you can't be too loud. some rooms are awkward shapes - so you need two speakers at least. and as i said point the speakers to the wall. the direct sound from the speakers can seem very abrasive to old ears. theres snothing sadder than seeing an old lady miming - no idea of whats going on - just wants to join in. so make sure they can all hear.

you need to be mobile. to interract. go and sing to people who perhaps can't see you, but they can feel your presence - so you should do the first songs shaking hands with everybody - and sometimes kneel down and hold hands and sing the song to the old person.

so you need a radio mic - one that you tape to your face and a guitar guitar radio system. either that or someone else backs you or you use backing trax. if you are to be mobile and interract.
theres alot of moving round so you do need to be relatively fit.

for that kind of kit - you need a fair number of gigs all rebooking you. in America - i can't imagine how you would make it work with your huge distances between towns.

i used to live just north of nottingham - so i could reach Nottingham, Derby Sheffield, Bakewell. Leicester, Lincoln - all within an hour. even so the petrol bill was crippling.

coupled with that although i loved doing it. there is an underlying sadness - these are the lucky ones. one day it will be you in that chair.