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I love to hear about intergenerational programs in nursing homes and other senior care communities. We all know that they benefit not only the residents but also the younger people.
When I decided to write about this topic, I was planning to limit it to one post. But, I ended up discovering so many excellent programs that I chose to split the information into two posts.
Today I’m sharing 6 of these creative programs. I’ll briefly describe each one. Then, if you’re interested in developing a program at your facility, you can click on the links to contact each organization directly.
Seniors Helping Seniors
Students from Livermore High School in California take part in a unique program to help make life easier for senior citizens. The students are in their fourth year of the school’s Green Engineering program.
During one semester, students team up with residents from The Watermark at Rosewood Gardens (a retirement community) to get to know each other and talk about what it’s like to grow older. Next, they work together to invent a product that helps solve a problem facing seniors.
A few of their past inventions include:
- Irrigated raised planter beds
- Hands-free umbrella to use with a walker
- Combination walker and shopping cart
- Devices that enable the user to wash the outside of a window from the inside (I could use one of those!)
Camp Willow
Residents of many senior living communities enjoy visits from their out-of-town grandchildren during the summer. Yet, sometimes it’s hard to keep kids occupied during these visits.
Willow Valley Communities in Pennsylvania came up with a novel solution. They call it Camp Willow, and it provides week-long day camp experiences for grandchildren ages 7-12.
Kids and grandparents can attend a variety of activities together. Or, if the grandparents need a break, the kids can attend by themselves. A few of the options include photography, woodworking, crafts, songwriting, and field trips.
Sages & Seekers
An organization known as Sages & Seekers brings residents of senior facilities (the sages) together with high school and college students (the seekers). During an 8-week guided program, the sages share their memories and wisdom with the seekers.
Participants generally meet at a school or college where one student is paired up with one senior. The program culminates with the seeker creating a tribute to the sage which is shared with the group at the end of the semester.
With headquarters in California, Sages & Seekers works to spread its award-winning program to other schools all across the United States. I hope you’ll take just 15 minutes out of your day to watch this 15-minute video that beautifully highlights this exceptional program.
SKIP
This program out of Ontario, Canada brings elementary students to senior care facilities for regular visits. Led by volunteers, SKIP (Seniors & Kids Intergenerational Programs) offers opportunities for relationship building, career path mentoring, and simply having fun together.
With over 10 years of experience, SKIP would love to share its expertise with other organizations and help develop new programs. You can learn more about the experiences of SKIP participants by watching this brief video.
Bridges Together
Would you like to develop an intergenerational program in your senior care community, but you have no idea where to begin? Bridges Together can help.
This nonprofit organization offers training and tools that walk you through how to create an effective intergenerational program. They provide 4 different tracks to follow, depending on the ages of the children who will interact with your residents.
With headquarters in Massachusetts, Bridges Together has been connecting generations for over 25 years. While there is a fee for their programs, your organization can also apply for a grant to cover expenses.
Aged To Perfection
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee developed an innovative class to encourage more people to consider a career working with older adults. Dubbed “Aged To Perfection”, students in this undergrad class meet weekly at St. John’s On The Lake, a nearby senior living community.
What’s unique about this class is that residents of St. John’s serve as instructors. This takes the form of panel discussions, small group meetings, and sharing stories with the class. Topics include such things as stereotypes about aging, spirituality, end-of-life issues, and life transitions.
For more information on this class, as well as its impact on the students and the residents, I hope you’ll watch this 10-minute video.
Be sure to come back next week when I’ll share information about more intergenerational programs. And, in the meantime, I know you’ll enjoy this article about the benefits of an on-site children’s center.
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