Boogie through generations

There has been a rise in press showing the benefits of children visiting care homes, both to the residents and the children themselves. Residents often report high levels of loneliness and care home staff notes an increase in their mood, health and interactivity after visits.

The nurseries have been regularly visiting the care home over the past year, and enjoy the time spent with their elderly friends. During a recent visit, Tops Day Nurseries introduced the lively music and movements of Boogie Mites, an educational dance and music activity.

Sian Pistell, deputy manager at Tops Corfe Mullen said, “We take the children to Streets Meadow because we believe it has benefitting factors on both our children and the elderly in care. The children walk in and the resident’s faces light up.”
During the visits, children learn about the differences between generations and about the world they live in. They understand that sometimes they need to speak quietly, but sometimes it is necessary to speak more loudly if an older person is having difficulty hearing them.

Four-year-old Dexter from Tops Corfe Mullen loves visiting the home, he said “We went to see the people and some of them were sleeping, I did a butterfly picture with the old lady and we had a biscuit and some juice.”