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Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Seattle preschool in a nursing home 'transforms' elderly residents

NEW YORK (ABC News) - What would happen if you paired the very young with the very old?

It's being done at a preschool in Seattle, where child care takes place throughout a campus which is also home to more than 400 older adults.

Called the Intergenerational Learning Center, the preschool is located within Providence Mount St. Vincent, a senior care center in West Seattle. Five days a week, the children and residents come together in a variety of planned activities such as music, dancing, art, lunch, storytelling or just visiting.

And now this incredible place is about to have its own film. Called "Present Perfect," it was shot over the course of the 2012-2013 school year by filmmaker Evan Briggs, who is also an adjunct professor at Seattle University. Funded completely out of her own pocket and shot by her alone, Briggs has now launched a Kickstarter to fund the editing of the movie. She has more than $45,000 of her $50,000 goal with 15 days to go.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think it is great to interact children with the elderly. I remember when my dad was in a nursing home, on holidays groups of children would come and visit. My dad was giving a teddy bear by the sweetest little girl as a gift. He kept it in his room, and now I have it. A lot of people do not realize how alone and isolated the elderly feels in a nursing facility. Some have no family. Those of you out there that have time should in some way see how they can help. It's very rewarding to these patients.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I think it can be mutually beneficial...but...

Background checks and supervision should be mandatory. There's plenty of child molesters and pedophiles in nursing homes, and people are less likely to suspect a sweet little old man in a nursing home.

Just be aware, that's all.