Residents at Allity’s Walkerville Aged Care Home in Adelaide met with year 10 advanced English students at nearby Rostrevor College over 10 weeks to co-write their memoirs as part of the ‘Write of Passage’ program.
Each memoir was then produced as a book and presented by the students to the residents in front of family and friends.
93-year-old resident Kathie told the ABC she was initially reluctant to take part in the program, but sharing her stories with 15-year-old Clinton had been a life-changing experience.
“I think anyone, if they get the opportunity to do it, just do it. It’s an eye-opener,” she said. “I just like meeting people now.”
Allity’s Communications Director Janet Leung says the program has led to better health and wellbeing for the residents and given the students an appreciation for the wider world.
“Studies have shown that contact between generations benefits everyone and in this case we have definitely seen that,” she said.
In fact the pilot has been such a success, Allity now says it will roll out the program across its aged care homes in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia nationally. Great stuff.
Check out a video of the project here.
