Summer Fun Takes on Intergenerational Spin
Making new friends at summer camp takes a new meaning at Signature HealthCARE of Putnam County where kids and residents benefit from the community-minded program.
“Camp and the kids, who come to know our elders on a first-name basis, creates a special spontaneity. Seeing a kid’s imagination, inspires our residents,†Shelley West, Signature HealthCARE of Putnam County’s Quality of Life Director, said. “The children and elders engage in exercise, play, art projects, cooking classes, and a variety of other activities. It’s amazing to see them bonding and laughing together. We feel it’s a way to bring together the young of age and the young at heart. It’s a huge part of our initiative to change the landscape of long term care.â€
Whether a day at camp is an activity with elders and kids interacting together or separately, the spontaneity and joyful energy brought into Signature HealthCARE of Putnam County by the kids is infectious. And throughout the skilled-nursing and long-term care industry, the need to create an environment where the unexpected takes place is a magical calling.