What do you get when you bring 100 or so children, 5 and under, together with 400 adults, 90 and over? Pure magic.
That's the thinking behind intergenerational programs that do just that. Recently, a nursing home for senior citizens in Seattle built an in-house pre-school program for young children, solving the broader community need for high quality pre-school care, and the need for a real community within the nursing home itself.
The result, over 25 years in the making, will warm your heart beyond belief.
Providence Mount St. Vincent, commonly called 'The Mount,' is a retirement home with a twist.
In 1991, a preschool was opened on the premises, with the hope that bringing the very old together with the very young would have benefits for both age groups. Charlene Boyd, an administrator at 'The Mount' explains, "We wanted to create a place for people to come to live, and not come to die."
The residents and young students come together in planned and spontaneous ways, and enjoy life's moments together.
While dressing up and receiving treats might be commonplace for the youngsters, to be a part of it is sadly rare for seniors in nursing homes. "These children bring life, and vibrancy, and normalcy. It's a gift," says Boyd.The benefits for the seniors are obvious.
"There’s nothing more delightful than seeing young children with noise, with laughter," says Boyd, "You see the residents, and they hear the sound of the kids coming down the hall, and it’s as though sunlight just came through the window."The children benefit from the special relationships they form as well.
With early and frequent exposure to older people who may have different needs, the children learn early on to accept these differences as matter of fact. Some adults are frail and need assistance. Some may be in wheelchairs or hard of hearing. The kids take it all in stride.The school/nursing home combo has attracted media attention.
WATCH: At this “inter-generational learning center,” the average adult is 92 and the oldest children are 5 -… https://t.co/EHPZ8AEJMo— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt)1486693863.0
The intergenerational program at 'The Mount' isn't the only one.
It seems like an obvious combination once you see it. In the US there are approximately 500 intergenerational programs like this.Young children seem to be just the thing to bring joy to seniors who otherwise tend to suffer from loneliness and depression.
"I’m a great-great-grandmother, but they’re in another town," Says Harriet Thompson, a resident at 'The Mount,' "I can’t hold my own little girl because she’s far away. And so this is what makes me happy."If you've ever spent time visiting a nursing home, you know that the atmosphere doesn't tend to be vibrant, lively, happy.
Thompson further explains, "You get to know them, and watch them, and act silly with them. And it’s good to feel like you’re 3 years old again."A documentary film team spent a year at 'The Mount' documenting the daily interactions, large and small, between the students and residents.
The moments captured range from poignant to funny to simple and straightforward. There seems nothing more natural than bringing people at opposite ends of their lifetimes together.People tend to have the same reaction to this concept.
We can all see the good that exists in this idea. Modern society's options for aging adults are pretty grim. The influx of energy, relationships, joy, laughter, and life that a preschool brings to a nursing home environment is exactly what's lacking.I hope this trend continues to grow.
Not only would I want to send my children to a school like this, but if I have to end up in a nursing home, I want it to be one with an intergenerational focus. It's a win for everyone.
"All of us have common needs to be recognized. All of us have common needs to be loved, and all of us have common needs to share life together," explains Boyd. Indeed we do.