To support fitness in old age, more and more care facilities are resorting to unusual concepts in the employment of their residents. An example is shared activities with children.
The idea that drives this project is that children and seniors can benefit from each other. The life experience of the elderly meets the curiosity and energy of the youngest of our society and should enrich both parties. The integrative pedagogy should awaken the spirits of the elderly and re-establish the connection to the outside world through new impulses. In this way, they remain active and the risks of depression and other mental illnesses can be reduced.
Possible activities must be coordinated with both parties so that they can do something equally and jointly. So community and board games, reading lessons, baking, cooking, walks and crafts can be not only a fun pastime, but also a learning and experience process. The time together shows children that aging is part of life. You benefit from the life experience and learn to deal with the peculiarities of old people.
This increases their social skills. In the meantime, the seniors are receiving more attention. This makes them feel important again, which is especially important for mental health. Reasons for this are the dwindling numbers of social contacts with increasing age. By sharing hours this can be avoided. During storytelling sessions, stories are shared from before and knowledge is passed from one generation to the next.
This concept has already been discovered by the „House for Young and Old“ in Moers-Meerbeck. There are a retirement home and a daycare on two different floors under one roof. Through a connecting door, the still quite new concept is implemented regularly.
The residents of the retirement home enjoy the variety and distraction of the structured everyday life. The continuous relationship work increases the joy of life and maintain the motor skills. The feared conflicts, such as restlessness and an increased volume level, were missing. Much more would the energy of the children strengthen the frustration tolerance of the elderly and bring them back their „joie de vivre“. A respectful approach makes this possible.
The new concept is already well received and has the potential to increase the sensitivity for each other, to keep the mind and body fit and to make unexpected friendships.
It’s definitely worth a try.
