The intergenerational program at Mercy Place Warrnambool sees children aged three and four from the Good Start Kinder Preschool visit the home once a month to sing songs, play games and share activities with residents at the home’s memory support unit.
The program, underway since June 2017, is designed to give residents the chance to connect with younger people – and it’s seeing real benefits.
“Since the adoption of this program, we’ve seen residents really look forward to the children visiting the home,” the home’s Lifestyle Assistant Nicole Landwehr said. “We always see delight in their faces, happy smiles and lots of laughter.”
It’s also having a positive effect on the children, developing their social and language skills and letting them interact with a generation they might otherwise not get to know.
A great way to span the age divide.
