Persevere and never give up – Sidcup care home residents share pearls of wisdom with schoolchildren

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

Residents at Care UK’s Smyth Lodge, on Frognal Avenue, have been sharing life advice with pupils from Brindishe Manor Primary School as part of a new intergenerational project – Wisdom Booths.

 

The Wisdom Booths initiative sees Care UK homes share their advice with younger generations after a national survey found 88% of people in the UK 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 Smyth Lodge included 91-year-old resident, Derek’s advice to “persevere in life, have determination and never give up”. He added that “you should always respect others”.

Other residents shared their advice, which ranged from solving money woes to how to become a good sportsperson. When asked by a youngster about how to be a nicer person, Joan, a 91-year-old resident explained that “you should always try to help others and smile at everyone”.  

Tracey Cheeseman, Home Manager at Smyth Lodge, said: “Intergenerational activities are a huge part of life here at Smyth Lodge, and it was fantastic to be joined by Brindishe Manor Primary School to discuss the advice that residents would give to their younger selves.

 

"Intergenerational relationships have shown to be incredibly fulfilling, as they give younger and older generations a chance to learn from one another. As a team, we feel that we have all learned a lot from this experience!"

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

Smyth Lodge has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The state-of-the-art care home, which opened in 2019, provides full-time residential, nursing and specialist dementia care, and features a cinema, hair salon and activities room

For more information on Smyth Lodge, contact Customer Relations Manager, Rebecca Wheeler, on 0333 3053 474 or email rebecca.wheeler@careuk.com or visit careuk.com/smyth-lodge