KarunaNews Story

Intergenerational housing developments have emerged over the past decade as an answer to the growing public health concern about loneliness. Two new models geared specifically towards older people are now taking root: care homes integrated with day cares, and retirement housing on university campuses. They encourage socialization, community-building and knowledge-sharing more than traditional retirement homes or assisted living complexes. Several new projects, in the UK and the US, are testing the waters for their commercial viability. “Particularly for people living with dementia, it [being around kids] enables them to think about their previous lives and connect with their own childhood,” says Caroline Baker, head of dementia and quality care at Belong, an intergenerational care village in the UK. “It helps them connect with their long-term memory. It’s often their short-term memory that is impaired first. They teach the children reading. It helps them remember those skills they have.”