Care Home Network

Our aim is to build on the connections made with staff and volunteers within care homes across Scotland during the past few years. The network will meet three times each year inviting care home managers, activity leads and volunteers to learn more about intergenerational work through supportive conversations with colleagues and the sharing of good intergenerational practice.

We aim to:
- raise awareness of what good intergenerational work looks like
- upskill & train staff and volunteers on how to plan, facilitate and evaluate intergenerational projects
- build intergenerational partnerships and connections
- provide networking & mutual support

Meetings for 2024:

Thursday 21st March 3pm – 4.30pm This was an online session. Please click here for the slides

Wednesday 5th June 10am – 12 noon This will be an online session.

Intergenerational healthy ageing games.
In 2017 Age Scotland, the national older people’s charity, launched ‘Body Boosting Bingo’, a sociable game that builds players strength and balance – aspects of fitness that can deteriorate rapidly in later life, if neglected. Body Boosting Bingo has been a huge hit with older people’s groups and services across Scotland, and been used intergenerationally with nursery children and sheltered housing residents playing together.
Doug Anthoney, Age Scotland Health and Wellbeing Manager, will explain how the game works, the difference it can makes, and how it might be used intergenerationally.
Join us for this session and share the intergenerational activities you use to improve physical and mental health in older adults.
Book your place here

October/November Date/time/venue to be confirmed. This will an onsite session

Intergenerational practitioners can sometimes feel isolated because they are often the only person delivering intergenerational work in their organisation. There is little opportunity to observe intergenerational activities led by others, yet there is so much benefit in this. Observing each other’s activity sessions helps us to reflect on what we do by thinking about the quality of what we offer and the changes we could make to improve the experience and outcomes for others.

Join us for this in-person session to learn about and watch the delivery of the Generations Active Together activity sessions led by Laura Taylor from Active Stirling. This intergenerational programme prepares high school pupils for going into local care homes – teaching them physical activity suitable for care home residents, dementia training, talking about stereotypes, tackling ageism. The pupils then come up with exercises and activities that can be carried out in care homes with older adults.
After the session you will have the opportunity to speak to the young people and older adults taking part to hear how this programme bringing generations together, benefits both ages.
Bookings will open when the visiting date is confirmed and please note that numbers will be limited to 12.

Previous meetings in 2023

Wednesday 15th November from 10.00am – 12noon: Reflection (online session)

We were joined in this session by Amy Lock from The Linking Network who shared the results from their project Care Home FaNs which linked 4,000 young people with 2,000 older people living in care homes in England.
You can watch the recording of the meeting here
Passcode: 9?pwh2F%

Amy’s presentation slides can be found here

Additional links from Amy can be found in the agenda/meeting notes here

• Thursday 21st September from 10.00am – 12noon: Come and join us at Methil Haven Care Village (Fife) – the first intergenerational shared site in Scotland

This is a wonderful opportunity to view the new Methil Haven Care Home and observe how intergenerational practice is being developed with the onsite nursery in this inspiring space. Discuss with colleagues what difference daily intergenerational interactions makes to the lives of participants, and staff as well as the community. How can this be replicated elsewhere in Scotland?

Meeting notes

Measuring & evaluating intergenerational work with Lorraine George; where do you start?

Meeting notes