Intergenerational Care in Deeside

Intergenerational care is becoming more and more popular, it helps encourage social interaction and create connections between different age groups. In addition, intergenerational activities have been shown to improve older adults’ health and general wellbeing. At Deeside Care Home, our residents take part in intergenerational programs as part of a varied schedule of enriching activities.

In Deeside Care Home this involves visits from young children from local schools or nurseries. Residents spend time talking, playing and taking part in activities with the children. The aim of intergenerational care is to bridge a gap between the generations and encourage social relationships. It also aims to help older adults feel engaged and connected with their local community.

What are the Benefits of Intergenerational Programs in Care Homes?

A wealth of intergenerational care research has shown that there are advantages for all ages when different generations interact. For older adults the benefits of intergenerational practice can be split into three categories: emotional, physical and cognitive.

A wide range of studies found that intergenerational activities also provides care home residents with a sense of meaningfulness. This is associated with an improvement in mood and a feeling of having more control in their lives. Older adults also benefit from improved physical health when taking part in intergenerational activities and research suggests that intergenerational programs may also sharpen the mind. Some older adults who take part perform better on memory tests than those who do not. Those with cognitive impairments (residents with dementia) experience more improvements while interacting with children than when engaged in other activities.

Playing and engaging with children also creates the opportunity to learn new skills and remember old ones which is why we're so passionate about fostering more activities like this and because our residents love it! If you'd like to take a closer look at our activities programme, head over to our website.