Adopt a Grandparent

Connecting Seniors with Younger People
Developing strong connections between residents and the community has incredible benefits, from easing loneliness to delaying mental decline.
While a single visit from children to our nursing community definitely brightens the mood and smiles of our residents, an ongoing visitation program is even more effective. Encore’s partnership with next-door neighbors, the Boys and Girls Club, enables us to continue our Adopt a Grandparent program, allowing older adults and younger people to participate in and share their lives. The children benefit from our residents’ help, stories, and friendly interactions, while residents are rewarded by the children’s laughter and enthusiasm. When the children are at Encore, we are a more vibrant community.

Encore’s Adopt a Grandparent program meets weekly with children from the Boys and Girls Club for interactive, fun group activities to encourage social engagement, laughter, and meaningful relationships. While we’re always adding new and unique activities, a couple of our favorites have been Sewing Socials where residents pair with students to teach sewing basics and techniques, and the Cooking Corner where residents and children gather for fun-spirited cooking classes. Socializing between generations has been linked to:

 

  • Decreasing loneliness and boredom
  • Lowering blood pressure
  • Delaying mental decline
  • Reducing depression and anxiety