‘Grandfriends’ mentoring program yielding benefits for young and old
A unique partnership between the Orange Grove Aged Care Community and the Anson Street School is leading to surprising benefits across the age divide.
The intergenerational learning program sees students from the Anson Street School paired with ”grandfriends”, residents of the Orange Grove Aged Care Community whom they have been visiting now for the past five weeks.
Together the students and their “grandfriends” have enjoyed playing games, completed challenges and, most importantly, have spent time talking and learning about each other.
“The purpose of the interactions is to enjoy a dialogue and activities between two age groups who would not normally interact together,” said Greg Cronin, Program Director at Intergenerational Learning Australia, who is helping facilitate the local program.
For students, spending time with someone much older helps improve their communication skills, builds confidence and helps prepare them for work in a multi-generational workplace, Greg said.
“The studies show that when you do have students interacting with purposeful and mutually enjoyable activities with much older people, there's improvement in behaviour and that of course leads to improvements in learning outcomes,” he explained.
He said that for elderly people, interacting with young people can relieve boredom, improve their quality of life and even ward off dementia.
“Isolation and boredom are also linked with declining physical health as well as declining mental health and cognitive abilities,” Mr Cronin said.
“Purposeful and mentally stimulating activities… research shows can either delay the onset of dementia and/or diminish its severity.
“So what we're doing here is more than just a nice thing to do. It's a wise thing to do because it's improving the quality of life of other people, giving them purpose.”
With an ageing population and growing need for workers in aged care, the program also offers a potential solution to future recruitment in the sector, Mr Cronin added.
Anson Street School principal Melanie Meers first heard about the intergenerational learning program at a conference and approached Orange Grove about the partnership.
But even she has been surprised by how much her students have enjoyed the visits to their “grandfriends”
“I wasn't sure how the students would react because a lot of our children have autism and change is quite hard for students with autism,” Ms Meers said.
“But they have embraced it, they love coming out and having chats with their ‘grandfriends’. They were telling me in the bus as we were coming over all the different activities they would do… But I think the big thing is the communication, they've been loving the chats with the older people.”
And Orange Grove resident Colleen Ryan, 83, said she too has loved her chats with the young students.
“I’ve really enjoyed it. They are great kids. A lot of fun… and I’ve learned a few things about the younger generation,” Colleen said. “They’re good fun and always happy!”
Fellow resident Ian Mackay agreed.
“It's enjoyable,” he said. When you get to adulthood, things slow down, but you get the younger ones coming through and what they come out with is quite amazing!”
While the program is still in its early stages, Orange Grove General Manager Margaret Irish said they have seen many benefits, such as participants becoming more social and wanting to come out of their rooms and engage with other people.
“It's absolutely magical on a daily basis and the outcomes that we're observing are bigger than I thought could be,” Ms Irish said.
“They are immediately – after the program –racing to other residents… We've actually got other residents who are now asking to be part of the program and we've got residents actually then sharing with their families that they've met their new grand friends as well.
“The absolute intention from Orange Grove is to keep this program running and for it to be a sustainable program. We've had conversations with Anson Street about that already.”