A recent newspaper article (in German) highlights the role of the German "Mehrgenerationenhäuser" in tackling solitude of elderly people. These institutions are points of contact for people of all ages, offering services and community space to meet. 

Read the full article here.

We all know that being alone has negative effects on health and well-being. However, experts are now getting more alarmed about this fact considering the aggravating demographic trends that we are observing.

A recent article indicated that the consequences of solitude on health are comparable to those of smoking, obesity or high blood pressure.

Read the full article here (German).

A study has shown that residents with dementia show lower agitation levels when having participated in activities with young children.

"Residents participated in weekly music activities with young children and in similar activities without the children. Videotaping and a natural observer gathered data on residents' positive behaviors (for example, laughing). [...] Caregivers observed residents' agitation levels later in the day on which the activities took place. Analysis showed that participation in activities with small children lowered residents' agitation levels."

Scholars recently found evidence for the saying that “A family that plays together stays together”.  Enrolling 14 intergenerational families – composed of 16 retired or semiretired grandparents, ages 65 to 89 years, along with their respective grandchildren, ages 18 to 24 years, they observed that leisure-time activities help grandparents to maintain close ties with their grandchildren. Grandparents utilized such get-togethers as opportunities to teach, mentor and pass on family values and traditions; and reciprocally, seniors found the activities catalyzed their own new discoveries. The researchers conclude that: “The findings illustrate the important role that family leisure played in the experience and expression of generativity,” thereby confirming previous research that found healthy intergenerational connections help grandparents age better and feel more positively about life. 

Read the full article here