September is National Intergeneration Month!

September is National Intergeneration Month! The goal of this event is to connect generations and to prompt people from varying age groups to befriend and learn from each other. Research from the Intergenerational Foundation identified the need to set aside a time each year to focus on intentionally connecting generations to better communicate age-related gratitude and needs.

At Private Home Care we are proud every day to engage in building and fostering strong intergenerational relations with our clients, their loved ones, our expert caregivers, and the community at large.

Why is this important? Different kinds of friendships and relationships enrich our lives, and this is especially so for intergenerational ones. Connecting with someone of a different generation helps remove preconceived notions about a certain age group, and see them as individuals. You can have conversations that you would never be able to have with those from the same age group, like a senior WWII veteran sharing his stories with a high schooler, who is in turn showing him how to use Facebook and Instagram.

Although people are digitally connected to each other more than ever before, apart from family, those connections are typically between people in the same generation. Both young and older people can feel disconnected and isolated, but we can find a sense of meaning by connecting with one another. Sometimes a younger person needs the wisdom of a senior to help guide them in life, and often when an older adult has a good connection with a younger person, it can make them feel relevant and young again. Often what we learn from each other is completely unexpected! Those relationships can help improve your life, and society as a whole.

Traditionally, great places to meet someone from a different generation are public areas, like a park, library, or museum. You might get lucky and meet someone from a different generation in your favorite crime mystery aisle at the library who can lead you to more favorite authors. At the park, you could make a new chess playing partner or friend who is also a dog enthusiast. Whatever your preference is, make room in your schedule, life, and heart for intergenerational relationships because they are truly some of the most fulfilling in life.