When Bethlehem Lutheran Church decided to expand their day program, in order to serve more people, they decided instead of just making room for more kids in the day program, they would think outside the box, and turn the Hill Child Development Center into a multi-wing intergenerational center. This means that there would be up to 35 senior citizens a day in one wing, and 45 – 60 kids a day in the other wing, connected by the lobby, or as the church calls it, “The Pathway”. The idea being that, the pathway will bring everyone together and the elders can visit the kiddos during the day, and vise versa.
When the church was deciding what to do they looked at several models, includnig a “co-located” model, which means there are two separate programs that share one facility. After looking at the needs of their community however they wanted to take a different approach, one that would bring people together, rather than keeping them apart. To that end, they made sure that they turned the senior wing into an ADA compliant facility, so that any seniors with disabilities would be accommodated, and they hired two new program management staff, and perhaps best of all, a professional chef to serve both programs.
“We’ve been intentional about creating a model that builds real relationships, where the kids and seniors can spend real time. We’ve worked hard to make sure we’re all one.” says a church spokesperson. The reason for this approach is the idea that by being together, the quality of life of both the elders and the children will be improved. This is in line with research that has found that spending time with children has measurable benefits for seniors, such as less hospitalization and reduced need for medication. There is also research indicating that kids who spend time with senior citizens helps them develop more empathy towards those different than them. For Bethelehem Lutheran Church, knowing those benefits, this decision was a no brainer.
In addition to all of this, the church is installing vertical gardens along the sides of the building, that way there will be an outdoor space for the children and the seniors to spend time together gardening. The children who are already part of the center have been actively engaged in the construction process, in a safe way, and are extremely excited for their new day time roommates.
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Source: Therapidian
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