Weymouth care home residents share pearls of wisdom with younger generation

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

Residents at Care UK’s Anning House, on Cross Road, have been sharing life advice with local youngsters 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 team welcomed Explorer Scout Nathan, aged 15, to join residents for the special session. He spoke to resident Nora Wheeler, aged 90, who is a retired Brownie Leader herself. Nathan asked Nora what advice she’d give him to help him enjoy his time with the Scouts. 

Nora said: “The most important part of being in the Scouts is helping others as it’s part of the Scout Pledge. By helping others you’ll learn new skills and make friends for life.”

Iris, aged 18, chatted with resident Pauline Boynett, aged 87 a retired nurse who worked for the NHS for over 25 years. Iris dreams of becoming a nurse and wanted to ask Pauline what the most important part of nurse training is and what advice could she share with her for her future career.

Pauline said: “Although the training is hard, if you stick with it you’ll find it really fulfilling and it will give you many transferable skills that you can use in everyday life.”

Tilly, asked residents what their most important piece of wisdom was – Pauline said: “Always be nice to your neighbours” and Audrey added: “No matter what you are trying to do, never give up and never stop trying.” 

Michelle Harwood, General Manager at Anning House, said: “Intergenerational activities are a huge part of life here at Anning House and it was fantastic to be joined by local youngsters to discuss residents’ words of wisdom.

"Intergenerational relationships 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 thanks to Nathan, Iris and Tilly 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.

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Anning House incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The home provides full-time residential care, nursing care, dementia care and respite care. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.

To find out more about Anning House, please call Home Admissions Advisor, Paul Bartliff on 01305 896744, email paul.bartliff@careuk.com or visit careuk.com/anning-house.