Playing in the community center of a senior care facility is typically not that difficult. Just contact the centers director and find out who handles the activities for music performance.
Playing for individuals in their rooms is different. Every facility’s requirements vary. My hometown care center did a simple background check, but it did take a couple weeks.
Larger organizations have more rigorous qualifications, and it is only to volunteer? Unfortunately so. Empath Health in Florida is the largest non-profit hospice organization in the country. It took two months for me to be approved. I went to two 8 hour training sessions, 2 weeks apart. I took a TB test, got fingerprinted, logged into the FBI database, credit checks and all except giving them my DNA. Even though this seems excessive, it is our current status for service for others. I was then approved to enter patients rooms and in some cases private homes. My main reason for this story is that it is my assumption that if you have a criminal/felony record that playing comfort music in this setting may be a challenge. Please check ahead with your local care facility before you prepare to serve in this capacity and feel free to email me with other questions or concerns that I can help you with.