Seniors home brings young and old together

CBC News: The National

4 Aug 201509:09

Summary

TLDRAt Providence Mount St. Vincent in Seattle, elderly residents and children from an on-site daycare form unique, heartwarming connections. This senior living facility integrates both generations in daily interactions, where the elderly, some with dementia, experience joy and emotional engagement through activities with the children. These moments bring back memories and a sense of purpose. The children, too, learn valuable lessons about aging and humanity. Residents, many in their final years, find happiness and fulfillment in these magical bonds, enriching both their lives and the children's in unexpected ways.

Takeaways

😊 The video is set at Providence Mount St. Vincent, a senior living facility in Seattle, where elderly residents and young children interact daily.
👶 The facility houses 400 residents and 125 children who attend daycare in the same building.
👩‍👦 The connection between elderly residents and children is seen as deeply beneficial, creating a shared sense of presence and joy.
👵 Many elderly residents, like Patricia (94), appreciate the slower pace of life and enjoy bonding with the children, reflecting on their own experiences as parents.
🎨 The interactions between seniors and children are both spontaneous and planned, offering mutual joy and engagement for both groups.
🤱 Residents often express how much they enjoy holding and playing with the children, feeling connected to life and vitality.
👩‍⚕️ The presence of children plays an active role in the care plans for residents with dementia, helping reduce anxiety and create moments of engagement.
💫 The philosophy at Mount St. Vincent centers around providing a sense of community, focusing on living rather than dying, with meaningful social interactions being prioritized.
🎶 Emotional bonds are formed between residents and children, such as the friendship between 77-year-old Jim and 3-year-old Enzo Bo, who sing songs together.
💖 Many residents find great happiness in their time with the children, stating that the children's presence fills their hearts with joy and gives them a sense of purpose.

Q & A

What is Providence Mount St. Vincent, and where is it located?
-Providence Mount St. Vincent, also known as 'The Mount,' is a senior care home in Seattle, Washington, that integrates daycare for children alongside care for elderly residents.
How many residents and children live at the Mount?
-The Mount is home to 400 senior residents and 125 children who attend daycare in the same facility.
What makes the Mount unique compared to other senior care facilities?
-The Mount uniquely brings together elderly residents and children in daily activities, fostering intergenerational interactions that benefit both groups, especially helping the elderly with dementia or isolation.
How did Charlene Boyd contribute to the development of the Mount's intergenerational program?
-Charlene Boyd, the director of the Mount, expanded on an employee idea from 20 years ago, ensuring that the facility was fully licensed for child care and creating an environment where meaningful connections between children and seniors could flourish.
What effect do the children have on the elderly residents, especially those with dementia?
-Children help elderly residents, particularly those with dementia, by providing moments of joy, triggering memories of parenthood, and helping reduce anxiety. Their presence helps unlock moments of connection and engagement.
Why do the elderly residents enjoy interacting with the children?
-The elderly residents enjoy the children's presence because they bring joy, warmth, and a sense of life. Many residents, like Patricia, feel that children are soft, squishy, and fun to be around. Some residents even recall the joy of raising their own children.
How does the Mount foster a sense of community among its residents?
-The Mount fosters a sense of community by offering regular social events, such as parties, birthday celebrations, and trips to the hairdresser, emphasizing meaningful interactions rather than just medical care.
What role do children play in the care plans of residents with dementia?
-For residents with dementia, time spent with the children is integrated into their care plans, as it helps reduce anxiety and brings moments of engagement that can reveal glimpses of their former lives.
What philosophy guides the care provided at the Mount?
-The Mount follows a philosophy of being a home for living rather than just dying. It emphasizes joy, meaningful interactions, and connection to the community, regardless of age or health condition.
What impact has the intergenerational program had on residents like Jim Nelson and Mary Gonzalez?
-Jim Nelson, 77, and Mary Gonzalez, 75, both express great joy from interacting with the children. Jim finds purpose in teaching and connecting with the children, while Mary feels her heart is full from their daily presence, despite also having her own grandchildren.

Outlines

00:00

🎶 Seniors and Children: A Beautiful Connection at 'The Mount'

The video introduces Providence Mount St. Vincent in Seattle, known as 'The Mount,' where seniors and children share their daily lives. The facility is home to 400 elderly residents and 125 children who attend daycare. Charlene Boyd, the director, highlights the emotional and mental benefits of this intergenerational interaction. Residents, like Patricia L., a 94-year-old with seven children, relish the chance to slow down and enjoy these connections, recalling their parenting days. The combination of the very young and the very old creates moments of joy and remembrance for residents, especially those with dementia, as the children bring them back to life’s simple, joyful moments.

05:01

👶 Shared Moments and Memories at The Mount

Residents at The Mount, such as Henrietta Turner, many of whom have dementia, experience enhanced care through time spent with the children. This interaction helps reduce anxiety and encourages engagement, creating a full circle of life that teaches both the elderly and young about human connection and aging. The laughter and joy shared between generations form powerful bonds that bring happiness to both groups. One notable relationship is between Jim Nelson, a 77-year-old resident with limited family visits, and Enzo Bo, a 3-year-old child. Their connection exemplifies the joy and positivity these interactions bring, with Jim choosing to focus on what he can do and finding fulfillment in these special moments.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Providence Mount St Vincent

Providence Mount St Vincent, often called 'The Mount,' is a senior living facility in Seattle where elderly residents and young children interact daily. This place is central to the video’s theme of intergenerational relationships, showcasing a model where older adults and children coexist in the same space, enriching each other's lives.

💡Intergenerational Care

Intergenerational care refers to the system where children and elderly individuals engage with each other in a structured environment. At the Mount, children in daycare and elderly residents build relationships through daily interactions. The concept exemplifies the theme of mutual benefit, where children bring joy and energy to the elderly, while the elderly provide children with companionship and life wisdom.

💡Dementia

Dementia is a condition affecting many residents at the Mount, leading to memory loss and cognitive decline. The video highlights how interactions with children can help reduce anxiety in dementia patients and bring them moments of joy and engagement, even unlocking forgotten memories of parenthood or youth.

💡Joy

Joy is a recurring theme in the video, represented by the happiness experienced by both the elderly residents and the children through their shared moments. These interactions, whether planned or spontaneous, bring laughter, emotional connection, and a sense of purpose to both groups, helping to combat loneliness and isolation.

💡Community

Community, as depicted in the video, refers to the sense of belonging and togetherness fostered at the Mount. The facility creates a supportive environment where aging residents are not isolated, but instead integrated into daily life alongside children, fostering a shared sense of purpose and companionship.

💡Care Plan

A care plan in this context refers to the personalized strategies used to support elderly residents, including those with dementia. Time spent with children is part of these care plans, designed to reduce anxiety, improve mood, and help patients engage with the world around them. These interactions are a form of therapeutic intervention.

💡Parenthood Memories

Parenthood memories are triggered in many elderly residents during their interactions with the children. These encounters remind them of their own experiences raising children, offering emotional comfort and moments of connection. This is particularly poignant for dementia patients, who may recall moments of their past more vividly during these interactions.

💡Meaningful Interactions

Meaningful interactions refer to the emotionally enriching engagements between the elderly residents and the children. The video emphasizes that these exchanges, though simple, such as playing a game or singing a song, have profound emotional impacts on both parties, fostering empathy, connection, and a sense of purpose.

💡Humanity

Humanity in this video is about recognizing the intrinsic value of every person, regardless of age or condition. The Mount’s model teaches children that elderly individuals, even those with physical or cognitive impairments, deserve love and respect. It reinforces the idea that aging does not diminish one’s worth or identity.

💡Full Circle of Life

The 'full circle of life' concept in the video refers to the way the Mount brings together the youngest and the oldest members of society, emphasizing that aging and childhood are natural stages of life. The interactions between these two groups symbolize the continuity of life, where the experiences of the elderly enrich the children, and vice versa.

Highlights

Providence Mount St. Vincent in Seattle is a unique senior home where the elderly and young children spend their days together.

The facility is home to 400 elderly residents and 125 children, who attend daycare in the same building.

The concept of combining daycare and elder care started 20 years ago and was expanded by Charlene Boyd, the facility's director.

Intergenerational interaction helps both the elderly and children live in the present moment, creating a meaningful connection.

For elderly residents with dementia, interaction with children can spark moments of joy and memory, offering temporary relief from cognitive decline.

Patricia L., a 94-year-old resident, expresses how much she enjoys spending time with the children, especially now that she has more time to enjoy life after raising seven children.

Charlene Boyd ensured that the entire facility is licensed for child care, creating an environment where spontaneous and planned interactions can occur.

The children are an integral part of the daily rhythm of life at the senior home, bringing spontaneity and joy to the residents.

Many residents, like Henrietta Turner, who has dementia, benefit from interactions with children as part of their care plan, helping reduce anxiety and unlock glimpses of fading memories.

The model at Mount St. Vincent focuses on fostering community and meaningful interactions rather than being primarily medical.

Har Jim Nelson, a 77-year-old resident, formed a strong bond with 3-year-old Enzo Bo, who brings joy to his life as his family doesn't visit often.

The interactions between children and residents foster empathy and understanding, with children learning about aging and humanness in a natural setting.

Despite many residents only living there for about two years, the experience of joy and connection is a daily part of life at the facility.

Mary Gonzalez, a 75-year-old resident, finds her heart 'full' from interacting with the children, despite having six children and seven grandchildren of her own.

The simple philosophy of integrating children and the elderly into each other's lives creates profound happiness and a sense of purpose in both groups.