It seems youthfulness is contagious.
Once a week, Selwyn Village is filled with the laughter of little children. Our Baby Buddies programme, in partnership with Plunket, sees local mums and their babies and toddlers visit the village. Playing and singing songs with the little ones provides considerable benefits to older people, lifting their spirits, and even easing the symptoms of some age-related illnesses.
Baby Buddies takes the form of a play group which is hosted once a week on a rotational basis. Local mums and their toddlers spend up to one hour in a facility, speaking to residents about motherhood, whilst the children interact, play and sing songs.
Whilst the effect of interacting with babies varies depending on factors such as child-rearing experience and gender, the benefits are considerable and include generally lifting people's spirits and easing the symptoms of age-related illnesses. The programme at Selwyn Village will enable us to identify specific requirements for hosting intergenerational groups within our homes for expansion across all Foundation sites.
If you and your baby would like to spend time with our residents, email Orquidea Tamayo Mortera or call her on 021 399 365.
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