Virtual world reunites nursery children and care home residents

Children at nurseries across the country have been getting online sharing stories and jokes with care home residents to make them feel connected with the outside world, during the coronavirus pandemic.

Nursery children may no longer be able to visit people living in the UK’s care homes but the coronavirus has not stopped different generations sharing a laugh together.

After many care homes went into lockdown because of the threat to residents of the coronavirus outbreak, virtual connections sprang up between the differing generations.

Many children and older people proved such long-distant connections can still be fun even if you don’t know what you’re doing. The Snapchat image above shows the laughs that can be had between the young and old online.

Care provider Black Swan Care Group has said its care homes have also been keeping in contact with nursery children - many of whom are now no longer going to nursery but are at home instead.

“Our residents are receiving letters and drawings, as well as personalised message videos.

“We’re using our smart TVs to video call with them so our residents still feel involved within their lives.”

Chiswick House care home resident Stan had his first video call with his young friend Vinnie and mother Emily.

“They’ve been friends for two years and it’s wonderful to see them so strong in the wake of the current situation”, Black Swan Care Group stated.

Residents at The Beeches care home run by Black Swan Care Group have also been taught how to use the internet and send emails. They can also use the webcam on their touchscreen computer to speak to friends anywhere in the world.

Residents at the Innage Grange home in Bridgnorth are used to weekly visits from children at Poppets Nursery. But due to the coronavirus, the nursery children have been sending residents colourful greeting cards instead.

Coverage Care, which runs the care home, tweeted: "The children have sent some lovely handmade cards. Thank you so much!"

‘I hope you don't catch this horrible fever'

Five-year-old Noah has sent his drawings to Mary and fellow residents at Brambles Residential Care Home, run by Sanctuary Care.

The five-year-old told Mary and fellow residents: “Everything will be back to normal, if we keep smiling”.

Two residents at Heathcote care home in Norwich have sent video messages to their regular young visitors, after forging friendships with children who have visited them every week for the past two years.

Heathcote care home resident’s video message saw him speak directly to camera to say:

“Hello Ryan, Cameron. We hope you don’t catch this horrible fever. As soon as it’s alright to come, we’ll see you again another day. Love to Mum and Dad. Bye.”

Missing his chance to play Snakes and Ladders with two young friends, another male resident’s video message went: “I’m thinking of you many times. Very soon we’ll be able to have some more get togethers”.

COVID-19 makes intergenerational care more vital

Care home provider St Monica Trust has just completed a week-long campaign to kick-start ‘intergenerational care’ activities across the UK between nursery children and care home residents.

It may have taken a year to plan but National Intergenerational Week (23-29 March) saw intergenerational virtual connections fostered across the country. More than 60 organisations shared such projects online using the hashtag #intergenerationalweek.

Black SwanCare tweeted “It’s a very different #intergenerationalweek than we’d planned for but we’re all making the best of the current situation".

The St Monica Trust famously took part in the Channel 4 show, ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds’ featuring 11 of the Trust’s Cote Lane care home residents and ten children from different pre-schools.

St Monica Trust’s senior digital communications executive Ben Dunn who came up with the idea, said: “The intergenerational conversation is a really important one at the moment."

Nursery gives surplus milk to care home

Intergenerational care continues in many forms, with a nursery in Bristol delivering free milk to the elderly at Norewood Lodge Care Home.

The childcare setting called The Nursery found itself with a surplus of milk after the government announced nursery closures, (except for children of key workers and vulnerable children), to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Faced with a sudden sharp decline in numbers of children attending, the nursery, rated Outstanding' by Ofsted had to shut on 27 March.

Jackie Hardie, nursery owner at The Nursery, said: “We ordered sufficient milk to provide for all children of key workers at our nursery, however as many of them have managed to keep their children at home, we found ourselves with quite a surplus.

“Someone did suggest the milk could be frozen, but, actually, we felt it would be much better placed in the local community at a time like this.”

After posting a message about the free milk on social media, she said “We donated some of the milk to a local care home and a lot of people who had not managed to leave their homes got in touch.”

Nursery owner Jackie Hardie said she will review its closure if a demand for more childcare arises.

'A great way to keep children busy'

The impact of the coronavirus has given birth to the ‘Sharing Smiles’ project. Scotmid Cooperative makes sure children’s drawings are distributed to care homes across the UK. It has been overwhelmed by the response from children’s parents and over 50 care providers since launching the project on social media.

Scotmid communities manager Lynne Ogg, said: “With the outbreak of coronavirus and subsequent lockdown, we began thinking of how we could keep serving some of our most vulnerable members in communities.

“It’s a simple idea but a great way to keep children busy whilst also providing a valuable task that will help connect them with others at this difficult time.”

Christine Thomas, service manager at Capability Scotland, a charity caring for people with disabilities, said: “Life for our customers has changed dramatically over the past week, as they are now advised to go into isolation to ensure they stay safe and healthy.

"It was hugely uplifting to read an email entitled ‘stay connected’; what a wonderfully touching idea this is”.

Staff at a care home in Inverness have now said they would like to share artwork created by their residents with children involved in the project.

“We hope to be able to share a lot of smiles in the weeks ahead”, added Lynn Ogg.

You can send children's drawings and letters to: lynneogg@scotmid.co.uk

click here for more details or to contact Black Swan Care Group