New Program Creation: Intergenerational Program between Seniors and Students

Naousa Care Home is the only nonprofit care home in Naousa with approximately 32 residents. The program consisted of workshops through which 11 students participated along with 15 seniors from the Care Home. The workshops consisted of interactive games for the improvement of perception, memory and cognition; as well as music and creative endeavors that enhanced team-building. More specifically, the teams (seniors with students) worked on the creation of a clock, activities with clay in order to exercise their hand strength, as well as activities with a ball to reinforce eye-hand coordination. Additionally, the teams worked on a collection of different traditional recipes of foods and sweets that were compiled in a book at the end of the workshop cycle. The teams also played board games and puzzles in order to stimulate the elderly’s thought processes and cognition. Each workshop was 2 hours long and 6 meetings in total took place. Through interaction with the students and participation in the above activities, the ultimate aim of the program was to succeed in minimizing senior’s feelings of anxiety and depression which arise from social isolation.