A wonderful intergenerational project at our care home in Irvine saw residents coming together with children from Elderbank, a local early years nursery, for fun-filled activity sessions!

During the sessions, the residents and children would spend time together enjoying things such as singing songs, painting and playing sports, with staff from both Abbeyfield House and the nursery getting to see just how beneficial these intergenerational interactions were. 

The benefits of intergenerational interactions 

The sessions, which took place within the nursery as a way of allowing the residents to get out into the local community, were introduced at by Carrie, a Carer and Activities Assistant who has been working at the house for a few years now. She had seen the growing evidence that bringing children and older people together had a number of health and wellbeing benefits, and wanted to try it out.

For residents, the change was almost instant. Their faces would light up as soon as the children came into the room.

One resident even said “It has brought life back into me.”

The children were slightly more shy in the beginning, but it didn’t take long until they were confidently helping the residents out and starting to form truly special friendships.

By the end, one of the children went home to tell his parents about “his new best friend called Tom.”

It was a very special experience for both residents and children alike, and memories have been created which will be cherished forever.

 

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