When people think of retirement homes, the last thing they would expect to see is children playing and interacting with their elderly counterparts. That is where Providence Mount St Vincent in Seattle, Washington sets itself apart from everywhere else, as it is a retirement home that houses a preschool within it. The children from this preschool are infants going up to five years of age, and they have plenty of fun activities to be had with some of the 400 elderly residents that reside there. Intergenerational Learning Centre (ILC) has a unique yet great plan that aims to help young children learn about the elderly from a young age, in the hopes of helping them better understand aging what it entails. Exposing young children to older people early on in their lives can help to enlighten them on many different aspects of the elderly, such as disabilities and aging in general. Not only that, but teaching them to be compassionate with the elderly will help to reduce fears they may have with older people, along with showing them the type of love and care that they care provide, as well as receive, from the elderly. These pictures showcase that the children are learning a lot from the older generation whilst giving them often needed social interactions that can help them enjoy their days more by helping and playing with the young children. More info: The International Learning Center | Providence Mount St. Vincent Assisted Living
43% of older adults experience social isolation
So this program put a preschool into a nursing home
It allows children to learn and interact with 400+ elderly residents at the assisted-living center
“The children and residents come together in a variety of planned activities such as music, dancing, art, lunch, storytelling or just visiting”
“This enhances the opportunities for children and people of all ages to have frequent interaction”
Children at the center have to the opportunity to learn from their elders
