Innovation: Generation Bridge

Germany

AAI Domains:

• Independent, healthy and secure living (care to older adults)

• Participation in society (social connectedness)

Ageing societies have increasing numbers of older people living in long-term institutional care, with an ever growing number of people living with dementia, and it is important that they enjoy a good quality of life. All too often the pattern of ‘institutional life’ is routine and there may be limited opportunities for something as simple but rewarding as regular contact with grandchildren. Long-term care institutions may well be places that children never visit if they don’t have an elderly relative who is a resident and so there is scope for socially innovative projects that bridge the generations.

In 2007, Horst Krumbach went on a six week internship to Denver, Colorado supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Catholic Church of St Donatus and learned about the ‘Rainbow Bridge’ that was being implemented across numerous nursing homes. Krumbach saw the positive effects that a programme of hour-long visits had on the young children and older people who participated in this inter-generational project. Older people experienced the joy of interacting with young children while youngsters developed social skills and seemed to develop greater self-esteem and confidence.

Initially the Korber Foundation provided support for the Generation Bridge that started in Aachen in 2009 with a simple approach based on three pillars: preparation, regular visits and cooperative partnerships. Preparation involves short training and information courses for kindergartens and schools alongside similar provision for nursing homes. Visits take place on a regular basis, usually fortnightly, over a year and participation in the programme is free for the first year and then very low cost (€100) for institutional partners. Cooperative partnership between institutions participating in the project is essential to developing a mutually appropriate programme of events for children and older people to enjoy together.

Typically a group of between eight and twelve young children will visit a nursing home with the same or slightly larger group of older people participating in the project. There are around 40 nursing homes and the same number of kindergartens and schools across eight regions participating the project which has been successful in attracting funding from a range of charitable foundations to initiate, coordinate and facilitate the Generation Bridge.

Although it has only five employees and volunteers, it has been recognised with several notable awards and prizes including the ‘Transatlantic Idea’ for American social projects that were successfully transferred to Germany. It was one of seven winners of the national Start Social competition promoted by the Office of the Chancellor and represented Germany as a project in the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations.

In relation to active ageing, Generation Bridge provides a form of care to older adults through the simple pleasure of enjoying activities with young children. The basis of inter-generational solidarity is building strong social connections between young people and older people that can bring happiness at the end of life and awareness and experience in the formative years of early childhood.

Generationsbrücke Deutschland website