A room full of children’s voices and childhood memories came together this week, as residents from Homestyle Aged Care visited YMCA Point Cook Early Learning Centre for a morning of singing, storytelling and connection.
It was the first visit from residents at the neighbouring aged care home, following the children’s visit last month.
The residents asked for the songs they grew up with. The children introduced themselves and told their visitors where they came from.
"The residents requested some of their favourite songs from their childhood, and it was beautiful to see everyone, children and educators alike, singing along with smiles," said Savita Sharma, Assistant Manager and Educational Leader at Point Cook.
The children warmly introduced themselves and shared where they come from, creating a sense of belonging and mutual respect.
For the aged care home, visits like this are part of an established program. Riddhi Wadhwa, Lifestyle Coordinator at Homestyle Aged Care, runs intergenerational sessions with local preschoolers, primary students and secondary students. For residents who rarely get out, a morning at an early learning centre is something else entirely.
"It's a different experience. It's a different world than what they live in," Wadhwa said.
The connection runs the other way too. When educators took the children to visit the aged care home earlier in the year, they came back moved by it.
"The residents were calling the children over, come read this book with me," said Jasmeet Abat, Centre Manager at Point Cook. The children showed real care for the residents, she said, and the educators were glad of the experience. For a team that spends its days with young children, welcoming a room of older visitors is a valuable moment.
There is good evidence behind the idea, as it drew national attention through the ABC series Old People's Home for 4 Year Olds, which set out to test it properly. Researchers have since found that regular contact between older adults and young children can lift mood and reduce frailty in older people, while helping children build empathy and language skills. One study of a related program found time with young people lowered both depression and loneliness among older participants.
"It was a truly special experience filled with joy, kindness, and connection across generations," Sharma said.
The centre and the aged care home plan to keep the relationship going, with the children visiting Homestyle again next month. For one morning, that different world was full of children singing.
