Bridge generations: 3 tips for creating a successful program between generations

Senior Living Leaders understand how important it is to create committed communities for their residents. An innovative approach that has gained traction in recent years is programming between the generations. This concept combines high -ranking living residents and individuals from younger generations to promote sensible connections and to improve the overall quality of life in senior citizens.

The advantages are immense if you reduce social isolation, stimulate cognitive health and promote emotional well -being. It helps to dismantle the barriers between the generations and to eliminate the stigma associated with aging and at the same time make older adults for the younger children who may not have living grandparents or family members who live nearby.

However, the inclusion of a successful program between the generations is not a uniform approach, and the right partner is of crucial importance for success. Since 2019 we have worked with our operator Ebenezer to refine our award -winning intergenerational program that is now being offered in our communities. Recently, Generations United recognized the pillars of the senior living community in downtown Minneapolis as the pillars of the award and join an elite class of cross -generational programs that are recognized with this name. In 2022, Harrison Street also awarded the pillars of Prospect Park with its ESG Leader Award for the team's pioneering work in models between generations.

Augumationationation programming is a win-win strategy for managers and residents of seniors. Your intergenerational program can thrive with the following tips.

Go beyond the preschool

The pillars of Prospect Park have infants from students in front of kindergarten with students as part of the student Residency Housing Program and the daycare center on site. This is the first such program in the state of Minnesota, and the results were excellent.

The pillars of Prospect Park have increased the capacity of its student Residency Housing program by more than 50%. College students rent studio apartments in the community for a reduced sentence in exchange for volunteers with residents who use their interests and knowledge. This can include planned activities such as leading an art class or “Ted Talk” or casual conviviality with meals or social hours.

The ties between students and residents often become stronger, and the students deal with our residents who go beyond the amount of needs. In addition, many students who take part in the Student Residency Housing Program come from a variety of cultural backgrounds, where a life volume with several generations is an anchored part of their culture.

The pillars of Lakeville in Lakeville, MN, are located next to a church, a K-8 school and a childcare program. The Senior Living Community is connected to each of these units by internal corridors, which opens up new possibilities for unique interactions with young and old.

Children from the childcare program regularly attend residents of the pillars of Lakeville to play games, complete art projects, take part in music courses and to share cakes and ice as part of the monthly birthday celebrations. Likewise, the residents of the Lakeville pillars easily go to the childcare program to rock the babies or to take part with the reading. Older students who attend school also take part in the fun, visit the pillars of Lakeville to carry out choir concerts for residents or play cribbage and pool.

The pillars of Prospect Park are located on the edge of the University of Minnesota and pave the way for cross -generational experience with students in various disciplines. Students of the University of Minnesota In the areas of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and language pathology programs, hundreds of hours spend hours with the residents as part of their studies. The University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Aging Studies Interdisciplinary Group has also taken up meaningful relationships with the residents in order to expand their learning outside the classroom.

Dedicate personnel to the program

In order to improve the experience for all participants, it is accordingly important for the employees. Your activity director is probably already revised and it is a recipe for a disaster.

Instead, create a position of the “Coordinator” Intergenerational Program “and look for strong people who align the program within the entire vision of the organization and at the same time search for community partnerships.

Since Senior Living executives want to offer their residents the best possible living documents, the inclusion of programming between the generations should be an important consideration. In this way you can create a more integrative and appealing environment in which the residents can enjoy their golden years to the fullest.

Jamie Korzan is Oppidan's Vice President for Investor Relations and plays an important role throughout the country during the development and operations of the older living communities of Oppidan.

The in each expressed opinions McKnights Senior Living Guest column are those of the author and not necessarily that of that of McKnights Senior Living.

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