Why intergenerational connection matters

When we talk about intergenerational programming at Perley Health, we are talking about much more than bringing children and older adults together for occasional activities. We are creating opportunities for people at different stages of life to form genuine relationships, learn from one another and experience the sense of purpose and belonging that comes from being part of a community.

This month, we are celebrating the grand opening of the Andrew Fleck Children's Services Intergenerational Early Learning Centre at Perley Health. The centre is already welcoming children, and its opening represents an important expansion of our intergenerational vision for long-term care.

It is also the latest chapter in a story that has been developing at Perley Health for years.

Building relationships across generations

Intergenerational programming is already an established part of life at Perley Health. Through weekly playgroups, music programs, student placements, volunteer opportunities and school partnerships, children and youth have been building meaningful connections with the Veterans and Seniors who live here.

Sometimes those connections develop through organized activities such as storytelling, music, gardening, crafts or therapeutic recreation. At other times, they emerge from the simple act of spending time together.

Our weekly playgroups have brought young children and seniors together in small groups, allowing participants to become comfortable with one another and form relationships over time. A pilot music program invited seniors and youth to take turns leading weekly sessions, sharing their interests and learning from one another.

Through the Caring for Others program, Grade 10 students from Immaculata High School earn credits while participating in one-on-one visits, therapeutic recreation and community activities at Perley Health. The Youth Volunteer Program, high school co-op placements and Take Our Kids to Work Day provide other opportunities for younger people to become part of our community.

Each initiative looks a little different, but they share an important principle: meaningful intergenerational relationships take time, intention and repeated opportunities to connect.

Benefits for every generation

The value of intergenerational relationships flows in both directions.

For Veterans and Seniors, spending time with younger generations can offer companionship, joy and a renewed sense of purpose. It creates opportunities to share experiences, skills, humour and stories with people who are eager to listen and learn.

Children and youth benefit, too. Through relationships with older adults, they can develop empathy, confidence and a greater understanding of lives and experiences different from their own. They also learn that aging is a natural part of life and that older adults continue to have knowledge, interests and meaningful contributions to share.

For families, staff and volunteers, intergenerational programming helps create a more vibrant and connected environment. More broadly, it challenges age-based assumptions and demonstrates what becomes possible when communities are intentionally designed to bring generations together.

Creating connection by design

The new Intergenerational Early Learning Centre gives us the opportunity to make these connections more frequent and more deeply embedded in our community.

Operated by Andrew Fleck Children's Services, the centre provides licensed childcare for 49 children from infancy through kindergarten age. Its presence at Perley Health supports healthcare workers and their families while creating daily opportunities for children, Veterans and seniors to interact.

Purpose-built program rooms, activity areas and outdoor spaces support both planned programming and the spontaneous moments that can happen when generations share a community. These spaces have been designed to be welcoming and accessible for people of different ages and abilities.

This vision has been made possible through the generosity of donors to the Perley Health Foundation. Through its $2-million Bridging Generations campaign, the Foundation raised funds to create the environments and programming that allow intergenerational relationships to flourish.

The Foundation also funds Perley Health's Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care™, which is helping us build the evidence behind this work.

Learning and sharing what works

We want to understand not only whether intergenerational programming makes people feel good in the moment, but also how it can be designed to deliver lasting benefits.

The Centre of Excellence has engaged Veterans, seniors, families, volunteers, parents and staff through interviews and co-design activities. Their perspectives are helping shape programming that reflects the needs, interests and experiences of the people who will participate in it.

As the work continues, we will study its impact and identify practical lessons that can be shared with other long-term care communities. Our ambition is to contribute to a model of intergenerational programming that can benefit people well beyond the Perley Health campus.

This month's grand opening will be an important milestone, but it is not the culmination of this work. It is the beginning of a new phase.

Our goal is to create a community where connection across generations is not reserved for special occasions. It is part of the rhythm of daily life. Children, youth, seniors and Veterans all have something to contribute, and all of us benefit when we create the space for those contributions to be shared.

Learn more about intergenerational programming at Perley Health.

By Katrin Spencer, Vice-President Strategy and Business Development, Perley Health