Watch The Amazing Things That Happen When You Put A Preschool Inside A Nursing Home
by N/A, 9 years ago |
3 min read
You don't often hear of nursing homes doing revolutionary things, but that's where Providence Mount St. Vincent serves as the exception. The Seattle center, which houses over 400 elderly residents, has something that no other nursing homes have - a preschool.
Now known as The Intergenerational Learning Center (ILC), the organization allows infants to 5-year-olds to interact with elderly residents, and vice versa. And in so doing, both are reaping a multitude of benefits and lessons that you simply can't put a price on.
As a person grows old, they experience a lot of loss along the way. Naturally, this makes them feel incredibly alone.
In fact, rouchly 43% of older adults experience deep social isolation.
This is just one of the primary reasons why ICL decided to combine St. Vincent's with a preschool...
So that elderly residents could not only interact with others, but experience the uplifting joy of children.
But that's not the only benefit that bringing the two together has reaped.
Interacting with the elderly also enhances the children's ability to develop critical relational skills...
They're given countless opportunities to learn invaluable life-lessons from their elders, while the elderly are given the incredible opportunity to once again transfer their knowledge to others...
The children are taught compassion, and how to accept and love people with disabilities.
And of course, both of them are always encouraged to have fun...
Although, the fun part sort of comes naturally.
In the end, The Intergenerational Learning Center creates a beautiful tapestry of benefits for both its elderly residents and preschool students, none more important than the love each receive from one another...
Making this one of the most touching and applaud-worthy initiatives out there, and one that certainly needs to be adopted by more organizations and nursing homes.
Be sure to check out the short documentary that videographer Evan Briggs made about the program:
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