Old People's Home for 4 Year Olds in Spreydon! Exciting development at our Cobham centre

Intergenerational connections

For some time now there have been extremely successful models of intergenerational care overseas. As a community based organisation we have an exciting opportunity at our Cobham Te Whare Rama Early Learning Centre to create a model of our own.

Under construction right next door to the Centre is a new extension to Cobham Village, a housing community for older persons.  

You may have seen the series Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds - a heartwarming documentary series, based around a unique social experiment where a group of older retirement home residents are brought together with a group of preschoolers.  

Well - We thought, “Here’s a fantastic opportunity to give this a go!” There are so many benefits for both the children and the older persons.

Benefits for children

The benefits that we see for children are enhanced social skills, where the children can learn to communicate with and show empathy towards older adults, as well as gain experience in patience, active listening and respect for others.  Improved emotional development sits alongside relationship building with the seniors as well as the obvious nurturing attention which can only boost self-esteem. Other benefits include language development due to exposure to a broader vocabulary.  Another amazing feature is the learning of values and wisdom - the older adults sharing stories and life experiences gives children context of their life and promotes a sense of history and continuity.

Benefits for older people

For the older persons we hope that regular interaction with our children will reduce isolation and loneliness.  This has potential to create a sense of purpose and joy.  The activities that we are hoping to connect with will stimulate mental activity and support positive emotional well-being.  We expect joy, laughter and fun.  The community focus with this project is also huge - inclusivity, respect and diversity will be celebrated.  

We envisage seating areas, sensory gardens, outdoor games, craft activities, music sessions, a reading nook and maybe… just maybe - chickens!  We look forward to celebrating individual birthdays, special events and holiday celebrations with our neighbours. 

Through the looking glass

While we are making plans, in reality we are currently at the stage of a new fence with a view  -  Children through the looking glass (remove “glass” and insert “perspex” for safety reasons).  There are many questions and learning moments around concrete and air bubbles and toilet pipes and why workers wear gumboots and how things work in construction.  We are all learning A LOT!  

Watch this space for progress reports!

Lisa

Te Whare Rama Manager