Care homes and crèches: How children can benefit older people
The two book end generations share much in common. Unlike
people of working age, who are all about squeezing in as much as they can with
the time they have available, the youngest and oldest in our society are time
rich and activity poor. They exist in the moment, enjoying the simplicity of
tending flowers or building Lego, living in a different rhythm to the rest of
us.
Despite these obvious similarities, the two generations
increasingly live segregated lives. Young people at nurseries and school; older
people in retirement communities and care homes. However, following several
years of experiments and studies, it’s clear there’s a beneficial correlation
between the two.
Intergenerational interactions
The concept of encouraging younger people to spend time with
older people is nothing new. In fact, across the pond in the US, shared care
facilities are increasingly popular with creches based in nursing homes
becoming a common sight. In Singapore too, the nation is spending $3bn on
co-locating elder care and childcare facilities, in order to “maximise the
opportunities for intergenerational interactions”.
This type of shared
environment has significant economic benefits, as resources can be pooled and
staff costs divided. With both the elderly care and early years childcare
industries struggling to remain economically viable, this model makes sense to
both groups. But what about the children and adults involved? Will they benefit
from such interaction?
The benefits for older adults
Through various studies and experiments, a number of
quantifiable benefits have been identified for the adults involved in these
types of intergenerational projects, such as:
· Learning:
Older adults can learn new technology and innovations from their young
companions.
· Energy:
Volunteering with children on a regular basis has been shown to burn 20 per
cent more calories each week.
· Health:
Older adults who engage with children regularly experience less falls,
performed better on memory tests and relied less upon walking sticks and canes
than before.
· Dementia:
Those living with dementia had more positive effects from activities engaging
with children than with non-intergenerational activities.
· Happiness:
An experiment in Japan
found that shared play between the generations brought more smiles, happiness
and more conversation into the lives of older people.
Of course, not all of the benefits were easy to quantify,
but were apparent to both older people and carers involved in the projects.
Having young people around appeared to make older people feel more youthful and
energetic. They were encouraged to live in the moment, instead of just watching
time pass.
The benefits for children
Interacting with older people has a far-reaching suite of
benefits for children too. The precise impacts from these social experiments
depended greatly on the ages of the children, as well as the type and frequency
of interaction. However, some generalised benefits can be pinpointed, such as:
· Reading: Children
who were read to or enjoyed a book with older adults achieved higher reading
scores compared to peers at other schools.
· Behaviour:
Older children who are engaged in intergenerational projects are less likely to
use drugs (46 per cent), less likely to drink alcohol (27 per cent) and less
inclined to skip school (52 per cent).
· Learning:
There is so much that children can learn from older peers. Simply interacting with
someone who is completely disconnected from the text and internet based
socialisation of our modern times gives kids a new perspective on
relationships.
· Self-esteem:
Research in both Australia
and in the UK
found that including children and older adults in day care together boosted self-esteem
and promoted healthy friendships.
Young children are found to be far less discriminatory when
it comes to forming friendships, enabling them to see past the wrinkles and
hearing losses of their elder peers, and to form deep and meaningful
relationships with this other generation. This can help to give them a sense of
who they are, and where they come from, even if that person is not a blood
relation.
Modern families are increasingly separated by distance and
time, and projects such as these are invaluable for bringing the generations
together. Here at Blenheim House, although not in a position to
open a creche in our home, we absolutely encourage families to bring young
people along for visits and interaction. We also regularly invite local schools
on to the home. Talk to our team about how you can get the children in your
life more engaged with your older relative, and we’ll be pleased to support
you.