One aspect of education and elder care of particular interest is the trend of inter-generational learning and living. As families are delayed due to educational and career goals, or live apart from extended family members, the opportunity to interact with grandparents on a regular basis also diminishes.
Physical, mental, social and emotional benefits are documented on both sides of the age bracket in those who are involved in these opportunities. Elders afflicted with Alzheimer's draw on past child nurturing skills to relate to an infant again and find long hidden skills that still exist. Children developing new patterns of speech share the same obstacles as folks relearning speech after strokes. Their shared experiences and developing trust with each other trains children not to be fearful of differently abled persons, aging and even death.
In the course of researching the to illustrate and documented benefits, I stumbled on co-housing. A collective group of individuals sharing living space so that as the adults age in place, resources and relationships are already established to delay or eliminate the need to transition to nurisng home or elder care. Young families are enriched with the presence of elder perspective, insight and sharing crafts and hobbies of previous generations. Child care in exchange for meal preparation, the possibilities for bartering levels of care abound.
Golden Girls episodes of my formative years came to mind with a same-sex couple raising their family across the courtyard and more folks from all walks of life and cultures rounding out the melting potluck. The blessing of growing up less than three miles from my maternal grandparents is one of the highlights of my youth. Whether involved in church projects, craft projects, house keeping or bookkeeping for their auto repair business, we were always welcome in their home. Our grandfather was a mechanic and took each of the grandchildren fishing - or as we called it, eating snacks in the rowboat on a lake. After his death, our grandmother excelled in all the right ways indulging our passions, teaching sewing and sponsoring craft projects, making costumes, teaching the value of elbow grease and sharing cooking expertise. She had the opportunity to love and enjoy her two great grandsons for five and eight years spending much time on hands and knees playing Hot Wheels. When she died after spending much time entertaining my young sons and we were choosing remembrances, I chose her cookie jar and cast iron pot for spaghetti.
Daycare for my nephew is provided by his maternal grandparents twice a week. The constant interaction in his development and daily care has created a bond and connection that matters to his social experiences. It provides my parents with structure in their retirement, a schedule to adhere to and purpose, which is important at any age and stage in development. The second nephew will be emerging any day and while they consider whether they are too old to maintain the pace of a preschooler and an infant, the draw of seeing those important milestones will keep them in yoga class maintaining flexibility to lift those hefty bundles and rise from floor play for another Ring Around the Rosie before all fall down for a nap.
Even today, many of my richest friendships are with women 10-35 years my senior. They offer a sense of life with no filters, no presumption and a level of honesty that women my own age long for but can't yet achieve. These are the ladies I want to be when I grow up. And these are the types of programs I want to see integrated in senior housing when I get there. Be the change you want to see in the world was never more real than it is right now. Today, don't put it off. Research how to make a small step in the right direction. You don't have to embrace the values of those in power - rebel, revolt and make your own reality. Can I integrate one or both of these concepts in the retirement community in which I work? Hard to tell, but I know who to talk to to raise awareness that it is working in other areas and contacts for each step of the way to bring it to fruition. Someone somewhere had the vision to bring hospice care to the residents and we are darn close to accepting our first patients and gathering our team to provide compassionate care to families at end of life.
Providence Mt. St. Vincent - the nursing home with a preschool at heart -
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/01/the-preschool-inside-a-nursing-home/424827/
Intergenerational housing article:
http://www.aarp.org/home-garden/housing/info-03-2011/intergenerational-cohousing-for-all-ages.html
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