Vitalia Active Adult Community – North Royalton Encourages Intergenerational Relationships Between Children and Older Adults

As we age, health becomes a major focus of our daily lives. We begin to think more about eating well, getting enough exercise, and keeping our minds active. But health is more than that – it also includes our relationships with others, specifically intergenerational relationships. 

According to an article in Press & News, there are the many benefits of intergenerational relationships between children and older adults.  

• Children who spend time with older adults growing up are less ageist as they get older.  
• It can prevent isolation and loneliness in older adults.  
• It provides a perfect opportunity for young and old to learn from one another.  
• It builds a stronger community.  
• It gives older adults a sense of purpose and helps younger generations have a greater respect for and value of older adults.  
• It helps keep stories and history alive within families and the greater community. 

At Vitalia Active Adult Community – North Royalton, we promote intergenerational relationships in many ways! As the Resident Services Director, I work toward building intergenerational relationships through several events. We’ve recently welcomed in the Girl Scouts to sell cookies and visit with our residents. We also invite kids in to celebrate holidays with us, like our annual Easter egg hunt. We’re also fostering educational events with our monthly Story Corner, when children come in for a story, craft, and snack, and to spend time with their loved ones. There are so many ways to build intergenerational relationships and we’re hopeful as we continue to diversify events.

When observing the interactions between children and older adults, it’s easy to see how much older adults really have to offer to children, and vice versa! They share smiles, memories, information, and more. There are many benefits to welcoming intergenerational relationships, but the main one is the pure joy it spreads. We see so many smiles, laughs, and lighter attitudes within our community when kids come to visit. It also unlocks memories and sentimentalities in our residents, which helps them to open about their life experiences. I believe these relationships are not one sided, but also offer a lot to the children and teens who come in to spend time with the residents. Spending time with older adults is a very rewarding experience. It offers a diverse number of benefits including learning about empathy and sympathy, understanding compassion, learning skills, hearing stories about how things have changed, and learning about the world in a way they may not have experienced. Building these relationships help us all in the fight to tear down harmful senior living stereotypes and show the world just #whatseniorlivinglookslike.   

Each of our communities works hard to foster intergenerational relationships and memorable experiences.   

Source: Engage at Every Age: The benefits of intergenerational relationships – Senior Community Services