Cheltenham care home residents share pearls of wisdom with local school

Residents at a care home in Cheltenham have been passing on their advice to the younger generation as part of a nationwide initiative.

Residents at Care UK’s Sandfields, on St George’s Road, have been sharing their knowledge on a host of topics with children from The Catholic School of St Gregory the Great as part of a new intergenerational project – Wisdom Booths.

The Wisdom Booths initiative sees Care UK homes across the UK share their advice with younger generations after a national survey found 88% of people nationwide are grateful for what they’ve been told by their elders and 56% will always rely on them for advice, regardless of how old they are.

The pearls of wisdom at Sandfields included 94-year-old resident Barbara’s advice “Do what you want to do, even if it’s unsuccessful.” Elspeth, aged 97, added: “Keep calm in all that you do.”

Malaika Browne, Home Manager at Sandfields, said: “Intergenerational activities are a huge part of life here at Sandfields, and it was fantastic to be joined by children from St Gregory the Great to discuss the advice that residents would give their younger selves.

“Interaction between the generations have shown to be incredibly fulfilling, as they give younger and older generations a chance to learn from one another. These connections can be especially helpful for older people as they can provide a sense of purpose and spark discussions about their childhood. 

"We'd like to say a huge thank you to St Gregory the Great for participating, and we look forward to welcoming them into the home again very soon!"

For more information about Care UK’s ‘Wisdom Booths’ initiative, visit: careuk.com/wisdom-booths.

Sandfields is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing, dementia and short-term respite care. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hair salon and café.

For more information on Sandfields, please call Customer Relations Manager, Virginia Peachey, on 01242 801867, or email virginia.peachey@careuk.com.

For more general information, please go to careuk.com/sandfields.