Intergenerational program at Purdy Pavilion creating caring communities

Partners in Education, an intergenerational program that matches elementary school students with seniors at VCH-Vancouver’s Purdy Pavilion residential care facility, has a new twist on its nearly 30 years.

Magnussen Private School is the facility’s new partner, with 20 children in grades 1-7 making weekly, one-hour visits on Thursday afternoons. Last week, the kids came with holiday presents for their senior partners and everyone had a chance to celebrate together, says Rolf Brulhart, a long-time activity worker and founder of the program that promotes learning, understanding and mutual respect between generations.

Smiles all around

“When we can integrate children to share ideas and experiences, we are creating caring communities. The intergenerational exchanges at Purdy build self-esteem and satisfaction for both age groups—and it brings so much joy to our facility residents,” says Bob Chapman, Director of Residential Care and Assisted Living for Vancouver.

Each of the four floors with residents at Purdy work with five students and one teacher. “For the seniors, it’s just great—to maintain the community contact for seniors is very important,” Brulhart says. From the student perspective, he says “sometimes they’re more open minded to older generations than to their own mother or father.”

The nuts and bolts

The program operates on a seasonal, six-week schedule and takes place during school hours because it is part of the Magnussen curriculum. It starts with
orientation, and then 20 children are matched with 20 cognitively high-functioning residents. The eldest participating resident is 104 years old.

Weekly activities include competitive bingo, show-and-tell, pin the tail on the donkey, baking, singing, and a sports day that sees the children borrowing their seniors’ wheelchairs for races.

“It opens up your ideas about humans here,” says Brulhart. “It brings [the residents] to another world. Everybody is in great spirits when the children show up.”

Purdy Pavilion, located at UBC hospital, provides care for approximately 200 residents.