The hidden benefits of uniting old and young
Like Doria Ragland, who cancelled the yoga classes she teaches in LA and hired a dog-sitter while she stays with her daughter, the Duchess of Sussex, in London, mothers will travel as far as necessary to attend the birth of their grandchildren, and to spend time with them as they grow up. Even so, modern scattered families mean that many young children now grow up without benefiting from time spent with older adults.
However, there’s a quiet but steadily growing movement that could change all this – as evidence mounts that regular time together has benefits for both the old and the young.
In 1976, Shamuda Masaharu merged a nursery school in Tokyo with a care home for the elderly, while the nursery was renovated. It was a purely practical decision, but almost at once, staff at both noted social and cognitive improvements among the old and young. Older residents became more alert, interested in their surroundings, and talked and smiled more often. The children seemed happier and more responsive to the extra care and attention they enjoyed. The establishments never separated, and by 1998 there were 16 more intergenerational care facilities in the capital, with daily joint activities for the children and residents including exercising, reading, cooking and eating meals.
The idea soon spread across Europe, the US and Australia;
the UK’S first intergenerational care facility opened in 2017.
Margaret Skropeta at the University of Western Sydney studied situating preschool playgroups in aged care settings. Residents – including some with dementia – felt more connected, more a part of society again. Maria Gualano at the University of Torino reviewed 27 studies of intergenerational care programmes. Benefits included increased well-being and self-esteem among the elderly, a more positive perception of older people among children, and a greater sense of staff well-being, too.
Laura Carstensen at West Virginia University recruited older adults to help children aged six to nine improve their reading skills. The children’s attitudes to older people became more positive, while the tutors felt happier and more part of their community.
Shared activities need not be restricted to schools or nurseries. Intergenerational orchestras, volunteer schemes and sport clubs are growing in popularity, with compelling results. University of Leon researchers asked sports and exercise undergraduates (average age 19) to design a session of games to encourage mildly depressed adults (average age 75). Participants’ mood and self-image improved significantly compared to those taught by older trainers.
It’s high time to stop age segregation, and encourage people of all ages, particularly the very young and very old, to spend time together. Benefits are legion – older people report a reawakened sense of purpose, increased self-esteem and selfconfidence, while the young gain social and linguistic skills and become more empathetic.
When it comes to living together, like Doria Ragland and her new grandson Archie, there are even practical benefits. Not only is everyone happier, the rent bill is reduced.