About my generation, and more
When old and young connect, the benefits help both sides of the generational divide, write Marc and Craig Kielburger.
Retired physiotherapist Joan Butler is much slower with a trowel than in her younger days. But on a sunny Saturday at her B.C. housing co-op, she’s surrounded by a horde of enthusiastic grade schoolers eager to pitch in with gardening. The soil flies, rakes clang and soon the weeds are gone and new seedlings planted.
More importantly, a lasting friendship is sowed between generations. The connection breaks down age stereotypes and nurtures healthier seniors, more empathetic and resilient children, and stronger communities.
June is seniors’ month in several Canadian provinces. Although their ranks are swelling to more than four million, the over-65 set is in need of more social connection. One in four seniors lives alone, with women twice as likely as men to reside by themselves. And in 2014, the National Seniors Council found that half of Canadians over age 80 say they feel lonely.
The same report also discovered that not having a social network puts seniors at greater risk of dementia, depression and sedentary living. On the flip side, the U.S. organization, Generations United, says seniors who volunteer regularly with children burn more calories, experience fewer falls, and retain better memory skills.
Butler, 64, lives by herself in a small apartment. But she doesn’t live alone. Her neighbours are ages nine months to 92 years, each buoyed by the mutual benefit of intergenerational connection that the co-op provides.
On that spring gardening day, Butler enlisted a 15-year-old to dig out a shrub in need of more sun. They discussed the teen’s career aspirations in medicine, and Butler offered a lifetime of firsthand wisdom, from schooling to specialties. It’s not a bad trade off.
Kids can benefit just as much as elders from time together. Valerie Kuehne, academic provost at the University of Victoria, has studied intergenerational initiatives for three decades. She says children learn about diversity, community and social inclusion by meeting people of different ages. Relationships with caring seniors help students do better in school, and some even stay in school when they might otherwise drop out, Kuehne tells us.
In Vernon, B.C., elementary teacher Sharon MacKenzie took the once-a-week retirement home visit to the next level. She actually moved her class into a local seniors’ residence, melding the students’ curriculum with their elders’ schedules for several weeks. Over eight years, the Meadows School project created lasting bonds and empathy. At a recent reunion of past participants, it was interesting to note many former students had entered caring professions, like nursing and elder care.
“There are more similarities than differences between kids and seniors,” says MacKenzie, who now travels the world promoting “intergenerational immersion.” Kuehne cites Victoria’s Cordova Bay Elementary School, which brings local seniors in to share their skills, from baking to bike safety, with the students.
When seniors and teens get together, whole communities can benefit. Ontario realtor Trudi Johnston recently organized Habitat for Humanity’s first intergenerational build in Scarborough. Twenty students and 20 seniors spent a day installing insulation, putting up studs and pulling out nails together.
Johnson envisions this active exchange of expertise and energy becoming second nature in communities. To help achieve this goal, the organization’s next step is a series of grandparent and grandkid builds across Canada.
A multi-generational spin can work on any community activity. “If you have a seniors’ book club, invite grandkids and read a children’s book,” suggests MacKenzie, or include an older neighbour on your next family hike.
Back in Joan Butler’s backyard, a new neighbour plays soccer with his preschool children. One day in the near future, they too might receive some invaluable advice while digging up a shrub.
When seniors’ decades of wisdom are connected with the boundless potential of young people, Canada’s communities truly flourish.