Old People’s Home for 4-Year-Olds — This is not exactly a new concept in North America but it is also not common.

By Steve Moran

It continues to baffle me that we are not, as an industry, going nuts over how to stave off dementia, increase independence and lengths of stay. Doing those things means:

  1. Lower marketing costs

  2. Lower labor costs

  3. A better working environment

  4. Higher resident satisfaction levels that turn into more word-of-mouth referrals

Focusing on longevity initiatives costs nothing or almost nothing. In fact they will, over time, reduce costs substantially.   

Old People’s Home for 4 -Year-Olds

This is not exactly a new concept in North America but it is also not common, but it was a first in Great Britain. Channel 4 produced a two-part reality TV show chronicling a six-week experiment where 10 four-year-olds interacted with residents at St Monica Trust, a senior living community.

Cause and Result

Before the experiment began they did a “pre-test” of 10 residents where they found that:

  • ⅓ of them showed signs of depression

  • 9 of 10 said life is dull and uninteresting

  • All but one was assessed as being in poor health

  • Almost all were considered to be fall risks.

At the end of the experiment:

  • 70% had improved mood scores

  • 80% had improved mobility

  • They all reported that they enjoyed life more and were feeling more active.

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