Mixing Young and Old

There are many people with decades of life experience unable to live alone, but they often find homes for the aged to be lonely. They may not see their relatives every week, or they could find the activities provided do not suit them. Some of them suffer greatly because they find their family lives too far for regular visits, and others simply miss the everyday interactions they used to have in their former life. Mixing young and old is a concept that has begun to catch on, and many homes for the elderly have found visits from young school children help the residents reconnect with the world.

Infirmities are often an issue besetting those with decades of life behind them, and they miss their former life. Being with young children can help lift their spirits as youngsters have fewer inhibitions when it comes to sharing time with the elderly. Being able to spend an hour in conversation with a young child has become a high point for many elderly residents in homes, and they often wait eagerly for the days when visits will occur.

It could seem the children get little from visiting the elderly, but today’s mobile societies often see their own grandparents far away. A childhood without grandparents is one where there is a missing element for the younger generation, and providing them with a patient elderly person creates a positive impact on them. They get their own lift from visiting their elderly person each week, and many times their parents and teachers have noticed they look forward to the connection.

Volunteer efforts are often seen only from the point of view of those receiving the efforts of the volunteers, but the positive effect can travel in both directions. People of any age in a volunteer project often find they get just as much out of the experience as those receiving help.