The familiar refrain from “The Wheels on the Bus” fills the spacious ground-floor atrium at St. Vincent’s Langara long-term care home.
At the front of the room, staff dressed in Halloween costumes stamp their feet, clap their hands, and sing along to the classic nursery rhyme. They encourage a group of seven costumed daycare children to do the same.
Meanwhile, dozens of residents are seated in the atrium to take in the fun, many of them donning masks, colourful wigs and silly hats. Some of them clap to the rhythm, wave their hands, and sing along.
Last month’s Halloween party was the first time the South Vancouver long-term care home has welcomed a group of youngsters since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, children from nearby schools and daycare centres would visit the care home several times a year. (Although, a small group of residents did get the chance to visit a local elementary school last spring.)
“This is a wonderful opportunity to restart having school children coming into long-term care again as it really does foster social connections between residents and the kids,” says Resident Care Manager and Site Leader Jenelle Regehr.
Simply enjoying each others company is one of the main goals of these intergenerational get-togethers, but there are other benefits too, for seniors and children alike.
According to Linking Generations, the benefits of intergenerational activity include:
- Reduces loneliness and isolation
- Builds friendships and social connections
- Reduces ageism
- Creates opportunities for all generations to feel valued and part of their community
- Boosts mental wellbeing and self-confidence
- Increases understanding and sharing of experience between generations
- Enhances learning and skill sharing across all groups
“I’m grateful to the Langara Rehab Team for organizing this event, and to our daycare friends for coming to spend time with us,” says Katie Bieber, St. Vincent’s Langara Occupational Therapist. “It was so heartwarming to see the kids, seniors, and staff smiling and laughing together. We’re very excited to re-establish relationships with our local schools and daycares and resume these visits.”
After an hour of singing and dancing, it was time for the children to leave. But first, candy. As the kids lined up to say their goodbyes, their new “grand-buddies” doled out some tasty Halloween treats.
