Several times a week, teachers at Tiny Images, an early learning program in Fairmont, Nebraska, take infants and toddlers in four- and six-person carts and “buggy-ride” them around the building.

They first visit nursing home residents before visiting nursing home residents.

“Just walking down the halls and seeing the faces of the kids light up and the faces of the residents light up just makes my day,” he said at Fairview Manor, a city-owned nonprofit. says Kaci Brandt, director of Tiny Images. A nursing home in a rural area with approximately 600 people.

The ride provides an informal opportunity for children to interact with a “grandpa” who shares their daytime address, appears unexpectedly in residents’ rooms, and checks who is out in common areas. Children talk to their seniors and sing songs. Sometimes they even accompany the elderly during breakfast.

“There may be someone out there who may be having a bad day,” says Fairview Manor administrator Tami Sheil. It really brightens their day. ”

These heartwarming moments are useful for more than just photography. the study show That intergenerational facilities like Fairview Manor can lead to physical and cognitive problems health benefits For both children and the elderly. It also provides cost-effective support for talent development in two industries where funding and talent are often in short supply.

However, despite their many benefits, intergenerational care centers remain uncommon. As of 2021, less than 150 Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, a nonprofit organization that advocates for intergenerational policies and programs, said such facilities operate in the United States.

That may be changing. In recent years, there has been increased interest in the creation and expansion of co-located senior and child care programs. This is because bystanders realize that while the challenges of these sharing sites exist, they are by no means insurmountable.

“We think intergenerational sharing sites are the future,” says Butts.

“The brilliance of life”

In addition to buggy rides, the children at Tiny Images participate in planned activities with long-term care facility residents two to three times a week, Brandt said.

Children at Tiny Images use water guns to paint on canvas while their seniors watch. Photo courtesy of Tiny Images

Recently, children and residents played an impromptu table tennis game using balloons and pool noodles. They made sandcastles from “cloud dough” (a mixture of flour and baby oil). They used water guns instead of paintbrushes to paint on canvas. And just this month, they decorated sugar cookies for the holidays.

Activities like this are great for kids. They develop motor skills, increase sociability, and engage in play and free expression. But these interactions are just as helpful for adults, who also benefit from exercise, art therapy, and socialization.

Gina Ragland, deputy director of advocacy and support for AARP Nebraska, said most experts agree that older adults as a population tend to be isolated and lonely, and that the problem is due to lack of awareness. It has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke. As we grow older, our social networks shrink. An increasing number of elderly people live far away from their children and grandchildren. And people living in long-term care facilities tend to have very regular days, says Fairview Manor’s Sheil. In many nursing homes, every day follows the same routine, and the monotony can become boring and even depressing for some people.

The presence of children can turn everything around.

“I’ll tell you what, when you have kids in the building and kids running around and providing variety and spontaneity, the residents don’t get bored,” says Scheil. “Kids are unpredictable. They just provide the sparkle of life.”

Tiny Images has operated out of Fairview Manor for over 20 years. It is the only center-based child care option in town and can accommodate up to 36 children at a time, Scheil said.

Tiny Images is one of the few intergenerational centers in the entire state of Nebraska. But there will be more coming soon. Earlier this year, the state Legislature passed the bill To fund the creation of more co-located care centres.

The bill includes a small amount of $300,000, up to a maximum of $100,000 per facility, but the idea is that the startup funding could set a precedent, AARP Nebraska said. says Mr. Ragland. The goal is to establish a proof of concept that other facilities in Nebraska and across the country can follow.

Building affiliation and purpose

Another source of impetus for these arrangements is the tuition-free, Montessori-inspired early childhood education network funded by Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos. Bezos Academy.

There are currently 25 Bezos Academy preschools, with 11 more scheduled to open by the end of 2025, and they operate in a variety of settings, including public schools and public housing. A Bezos Academy spokesperson said program leaders generally consider establishing preschools in facilities run by mission-driven organizations that have free or low-cost rental space. Aged care facilities emerged as a natural fit.

The first Bezos Academy preschool site, which opened in 2020, is co-located in a separate building on the Bezos Academy campus. wesley holmesa senior living community in Des Moines, WA. Bezos Academy then Second attached kindergarten announced plans to open two more locations in Texas. one Arizona in 2025, and another In Dallas in 2026.

At Bezos Academy Des Moines, children ages 3 to 5 attend a preschool located in a building a short walk from Wesley Holmes residents. At the beginning of each school year, families agree to take part in a “field trip” where the children visit seniors.

“It’s a weekly tradition at our school,” said Tara Requa, principal at Bezos Academy Des Moines.



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