Blanchard Valley Health System - Grandfriends

What is it?

This educational daycare program began in 2003 when the Marilyn and Gordon Macklin Intergenerational Institute developed a partnership with Blanchard Valley Health System to facilitate interaction between retirement home residents and adult day center clients with children ages six weeks to five years. Children learn from their “Grandfriends,” while the adults get to re-experience the joy of caring for a child.

Who is it for?

The elderly and young children who need daycare.

Why do they do it?

Many of the activities allow both children and adults to practice motor skills, such as molding Play-Doh and cognitive skills, such as playing memory games. The games played through this interaction all serve a purpose and are therapeutic by design, allowing the children and adults to learn from one another and build their skills in an intergenerational setting.

Impact

Each year, more than 700 elderly clients and up to 70 children participate in the program.

Contact: Megan A. James
Communications Coordinator
Telephone: 419-423-5385
E-mail: mjames@bvhealthsystem.org