Tops Bournemouth, onsite at The Royal Bournemouth Hospital, have re-started their Joining Generations programme this term with local care home, Queensmead at Castle Dean, Throop, Bournemouth

Tops Bournemouth will be visiting Queensmead, a home for residential and dementia care, every Monday for 7 weeks. During the visits, the children at Tops Bournemouth, will be taking part in a range of activities with the residents, from, playing throw and catch and spot the difference to singing and taking part in a variety of arts and crafts.

More recently, the children visited the care to show off their fantastic Halloween costumes. The residents were overjoyed and got involved in some pumpkin carving. To finish off their Halloween activities the children and residents sang 5 little pumpkins together.

Stacey Nash, senior nursery manager at Tops Bournemouth, said; “There are so many benefits to our joining generations programme. The social interaction between children and the elderly decreases loneliness and delays mental decline it also helps children by increasing their confidence and much more. It’s been fantastic going to visit Queensmead care home, the children look forward to it every week and they have even met a resident that was 101.”

Many studies have shown that social interaction between children and the elderly not only decreases loneliness but can also delay mental decline, as well as promote a number of health benefits including reducing frailty. There are also a number of benefits to the children, including increased confidence, risk-taking and the opportunity to mix regularly with elderly people, which some children may not have the chance to do on a regular basis.

Tops Day Nurseries have over 30 nurseries across the South and Southwest.