Adding value to lives through intergenerational programs

Resident and former teacher Mark Smith chats with a Radford College student during last year’s Life Stories program.

WHILE ABC’s groundbreaking series Old People’s Home for Teenagers, an intergenerational experiment, was airing, a more low-key program pairing young and old were taking shape at Calvary Haydon aged care home at Bruce. Called Life Stories, it is an opportunity for residents and teenage students to come together to learn something about each other’s lives.

 The trial program is one of several intergenerational collaborations between Calvary Haydon and nearby Radford College that is bringing mutual benefits. Together we are creating ongoing projects that we believe are beneficial for both sides and help foster relationships and promote social engagements between residents and young people. The aim is to bring people together in purposeful, mutually beneficial activities that promote greater understanding and respect between generations and contribute to building more cohesive communities.

The projects have included talented art students coming to conduct fortnightly workshops with residents, and that program is starting again in March. Life Stories involved students spending blocks of time talking with their paired residents. We saw that ties of friendship developed through regular communication and that people from different life stages were learning and helping each other. The benefits of participating in such programs can be numerous for both the young and elderly through supporting emotional, social, cognitive, physical and sensory aspects of their lives.

As we know our residents, we found that it encouraged, motivated and added value to their lives. There were opportunities for companionship for both the students and our residents, some of whom are living with dementia or are in palliative care, to remember. In our experience, these programs can help reduce social isolation and depression for residents, who have the chance to be engaged and have increased communication. The residents are having obvious fun learning about a younger generation which can help reduce stress and anxiety by keeping their minds busy with positive thoughts. It is a two-way street. They are not just learning; they are sharing their experience and skills, which gives them a sense of purpose and, in some cases, greater self-esteem.

Residents were excited and looked forward to the sessions. There were smiles and laughter. They seemed to put aside or forget any limitations and enjoy being in the moment. For the students, it can help them to develop confidence and communication skills with the older generation, develop empathy and listening skills, and provide an opportunity to connect to older people, something that is not always possible for students in today’s lifestyle. They learn to develop the capacity to build relationships with those that are different, helping them stay social.

One boy said how much he enjoyed coming along on Tuesday mornings and the enlightening conversations he had with one of our residents, a retired diplomat. Their discussions ranged far and wide. “He has a very personal and interesting view on life that I can’t really get from anyone else in my social circle. He offers a fresh perspective on things and really encourages me to think deeply about my environment. Above all, he’s been really fun to talk to; he’s a really entertaining fellow.” The level of feeling and respect from our residents was mutual.

• Betty Szuromi is Calvary Haydon’s Diversional Therapist