A partnership connecting the community’s youth with the elderly is proving to be a fun and rewarding experience for all involved.
The Reception/Year 1 class at St Joseph’s School Clare has recently begun a new initiative, visiting residents at the Carinya Clare Residential Care Home.
The fortnightly visits bring together young students with their older counterparts in an effort to strengthen community partnerships.
Reception/Year 1 teacher Laura Turley instigated the program, taking inspiration from the popular TV series ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds.’
As part of the program, students and residents are paired and play games, do puzzles, interview each other, read together and sing songs.
Ms Turley said she developed the idea after a Catholic education leadership program, where participants were tasked with creating a project in the scope of religious leadership to strengthen community leaderships.
“This program gives students an opportunity to practice social skills, and a lot of the kids don’t get the opportunity to spend time with people of that age,” she said.
“A lot of the residents are older than their grandparents, so while it strengthens gross and fine motor skills, it connects the students with the older people of our community.
“It’s good exposure for the residents as well, and helps maintain some of their skills.”
Carinya lifestyle coordinator Nadine Thomas said the impact on residents had been most rewarding as they developed personal relationships with their buddies.
“Following the visit, residents continue to chat positively to others about their buddy and this promotes positive conversations,” she said.
“Recently, when residents attended the St. Josephs Fete they returned to Carinya informing staff their buddy recognised them and came up to them for a chat.
“One Resident was greeted by a big hug by her buddy, she couldn’t wait to inform staff of this.”
Ms Thomas said the visits from the students naturally uplifted the spirits of the residents.
Ms Turley shared the same sentiment, and said the kids had really embraced the visits.
“They’ve been working really hard at practicing their speaking and listening skills with residents, using their big voices and listening attentively,” she said.
Ms Turley said the kids had started counting down their next visits and came away with many new ideas of conversation points and what they would like to do with residents.
Perhaps the most difficult aspect to grasp for the kids is the sheer age of the residents, with many left in pure awe and admiration of one resident who is 98, which they excitedly described as “nearly 100!”
Ms Turley said the experience was invaluable for the students, as many only had relationships with peers of similar age or with their parents.
“The kids learn that respect early on and are able to understand and show that respect to our older community members,” she said.
“It breaks down that stigma and shows they’re not scary — everyone’s got a story and has interesting things to learn.
“And the residents don’t always get visitors or get to spend time with young children, so knowing we can make that impact, it’s nice to make people smile.”
