What do you think of this idea......

[Mind_your_head]

I often volunteer/help at several retirement communities....a lot of it, right now, is b/c of my children's school....

So the kids go in there and bake cookies and do dance/Irish dance, sing, whatever.

But I can't help but think how insulting it must be in a certain way for these elderly folks to have to be 'taught' by these babes! In fact, they're NOT being 'taught' anything (nor are they teaching/conveying anything that THEY have learned through many many years of experience/living).

It's kind of a youth/elderly "puppy mill". Nobody gains anything of substance. The young don't listen to the elders stories/history. The elderly don't listen to the youth's latest excitement (although I'd bet they could 'remember'/share something similar if they took the time to look back at their life for a moment and SHARE. There is HUGE potential to share/synergize with people's talents/abilities (that's where the young/old thing comes into play) certainly exists.

Does this make sense? If so, any thoughts for future 'enhancement' of our extremely young/old encounters?

TIA,
M_Y_H

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Have the kids record the stories of the elderly

Have an outline of questions for the kids to ask--

examples:

1. What was it like in school when you were a kid?

2. What did you do for play?

3. How did you get around?

4. What was the most exciting thing that happened to you as a kid?

5. What was the funniest thing that happened to you?

6. What did you do in the evenings?

7. What was your first job?

8. What did you do that got you into trouble--and what happened?

These were all questions I asked my grandmother and her siblings--and I'm still glad to this day I did. It gave me a picture on the past, and I've recalled the stories. My mother, who is now 90, has published her memoirs privately and given them to her great grandchildren and allowed me to post them online. The kids could make a book--Then and Now--talking about how they would answer these questions and compare their answers to the elderly folks' ones.

[Kceres]

4. This is a wonderful idea.

Everyone likes to talk about themselves. The residents will get a stimulating experience and the kids will learn to listen, report, compare.

[stillcool]

5. that's a good idea for adults too..

it has the added benefit of learning to listen.

[livetohike]

2. One thing to encourage communication is to play a game

where a student is paired up with an elderly resident - maybe Cranium or some game on that line, or Charades....

Another thing to do would be to find some common things to talk about like:

What was your favorite birthday present or memory?

What did/do you want to be when you finish school?

Tell us about your favorite pet, or for people who never had a pet, substitute something else.

What are your favorite foods?

What is the first thing you ever cooked on your own?

What is the first movie you ever saw in a movie theater?

Etc., etc.

[hay rick]

3. Not insulting at all

"Retirement communities" is a vague description- but I assume you are talking about nursing homes or assisted living facilities. My wife was a hands-on guardian for her uncle who was in an Alzheimer's unit at an assisted living facility for a couple of years. I accompanied her or substituted for her many times and got exposed to the living conditions of the elderly. The contacts between the kids and the elderly may not look like much, but the alternative for most of the elderly is no outside contact at all. They appreciate it and it is not demeaning.

The kids see more than they can comfortably talk about but life's worthwhile experiences are seldom antiseptic.