Life-changing haircuts: How one barber helps elderly Aussies with a pair of scissors

When Jarrod Wolhuter placed a hot towel on his elderly client and started gently shaving his face, the man seemed to transport back in time.

The 36-year-old ER nurse and barber watched in awe as the dementia-affected patient sat calmly and happily, listening to swing music from the '40s and '50s play in the background.

It's just one reason why Wolhuter founded Original Nursing Barbers, a one-stop-shop for personal grooming and healthcare for men around Australia.

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"I noticed how relaxed he became, he was very agitated previous to that, but once I sat him down… honestly, it took him back to another place," Wolhuter told 9Honey.

"He just took so much away from it and I thought, 'I could do this every day'."

Wolhuter had been working with seniors as a nurse before the coronavirus lockdowns, but decided on a career shift after discovering how much his clients adored being pampered.

For his elderly patients, Wolhuter says it is so much more than just a shave or a haircut.

It's a meaningful connection with another human, something that can be lost in aged care.

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'It brings back dignity to those people'

"I don't think barbers and hairdressers get the recognition they deserve for just how important their service is for people to get their social needs met," Wolhuter said.

'It's really quite amazing, and to be able to take this into an aged care facility and deliver a health-care focussed grooming service, I'm really happy to be pursuing this."

He added: "It brings back dignity to those people, they may not have visitors very often."

Wolhuter, who also worked as a COVID-swabbing nurse at 2GB, said he wished this kind of personal grooming was considered an essential service during lockdown.

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During his visits, the healthcare professional loves to play old music and spoil his clients with some gentle pampering, while also providing vital health checks.

"With men from that generation, barbering was such a big part of their lives. So if I can bring that back to them, I think this is a much needed service."

"The haircuts and the shaving aren't the primary service here though," he said. "The primary service is the visitation."

Now lockdown is over, NSW-based Wolhuter hopes to take Original Nursing Barbers national and give elderly Australians the treatment they deserve.

"I think this service is so important for elderly men specifically because historically elderly men aren't great at socializing or asking for help," he said.

"They were taught to be stoic."