“I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything; but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” — E.E. Hale
Projects for Nursing Homes
Our children regularly do many activities with/for our elderly at nursing homes.
Integrated Nursing Home and Children Program
This program targets every child to not only counterbalance the loneliness and boredom often experienced in nursing facility life but also, aims to engage children with the elderly from a very young age. Children in foster care and those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, kids with special needs and children without their grandparents positively benefit from this program. These intergenerational interactions lift the spirits of our elderly and greatly enrich children’s social and personal development. Aspects of this program encompass Projects: Learn a Skill from the Elderly Program, INC Visits, INC Giving Back Projects, INC Centres and INC Clubs.
Giving Back to the Community Kindness Activities
INC Giving Back Projects
INC Giving Back Projects involve children working in partnership with the elderly in giving back activities, which are meaningful goodwill gestures of appreciation and kindness acknowledging the work of our local educators, law enforcement, first responders, paramedics and medical personnel. This initiative positively impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of the people working in these sectors, while bringing joy and a sense of pride for the children and our senior friends working together to give back to those who protect and serve our community. Elderly also involve in knitting projects to provide warm items for the homeless and children in need.
We involve the elderly with children in many giving back kindness activities.
You can choose to be part of all activities or just one from the list below.
Calendar for Activities
• Cards for hospital patients, Children’s Hospital or Paediatric units and Mental Health Units - Nursing Home
can choose a date.
• Cards for homeless people on celebration days - Nursing Home can choose any celebration and dates.
• International Day of Happiness - Activity submission date 20 March.
• National Doctors’ Day -Tentative date of activity submission 7 March.
• National Nurses’ Day - Tentative date of activity submission 25 March
• Little Helpers Neighbours week - 1-7 of July
• National Police Remembrance Day - 29 September-Activity submission date 30 August
• Mental Health Month - October
• National Teachers’ Day - Activity submission date 30 September
• National First Responders Day - 28 October-Activity Submission date 10 October
• End of year Community Helpers cards - due last week of November
Find further information on this program by emailing us at [email protected]
Learn a Skill from the Elderly Program
Knitting, Language or any other skills which our elderly can teach our children. Knitting projects not only enable our children to learn a skill from their elderly friends but also provide warm items for the homeless and children in need.
INC Centres
INC Centres facilitate an environment for the “book-end generations” to come together for expressive interaction with the vision of connecting childcare centres with nursing homes. Regular outings are arranged for the elderly to visit childcare centres and for children to visit nursing homes.
INC Club
INC Club – many Clubs are run throughout nursing homes, facilitating the opportunity for our elderly to pass on their knowledge and skills to young children in the areas of language learning, Lego, knitting, crocheting, craft and Pen pals.
Projects for our Elderly Friends!
Respect Your Elders
Spending time with elderly can light up your live.
Aged Care/Nursing Home Visit
In small groups, children visit the elderly living in aged care. Profile matching is facilitated where possible to match our children with an elderly person with whom they may connect with best. Children distribute some small gifts like a mug or warm socks or hand lotions etc. to each resident.
Lego Club
Unique, Enlightening, Life Changing Program; specifically designed for nursing home residents to improve their mental wellbeing and cognitive functioning. Through this program, we connect our elderly with the community and their families, particularly their grandchildren.
Neighbours and Nursing Homes
We aim to connect neighbours with their elderly neighbours living at nursing homes, we encourage neighbours to be a part of, and attend, monthly Neighbours’ Tea Party Projects at nursing homes. If you would like to become a part of this project, submit your expression of interest here.
Aged Care/Nursing Home Visit
In small groups, children visit the elderly living in aged care. Profile matching is facilitated where possible to match our children with an elderly person with whom they may connect with best. Children distribute some small gifts like a mug or warm socks or hand lotions etc. to each resident.
National Grandparents Day
We run many kindness activities for our elderly grandparents at nursing homes and arrange special visits to nursing homes on National Grandparents Day to show appreciation towards our wise grandparents.
NSW Seniors Week
We conduct numerous activities to raise awareness about and show appreciation for the elderly in our community during NSW Senior Week.
“The Secret of Change is to Focus all of Your Energy, not on Fighting the old, but on Building the new.” –Socrates.
Therapeutic Art Club
We run therapeutic art clubs at nursing homes which not only helps in improving mental health and the general wellbeing of our residents through creative activities but also allow them to enjoy the company of their young friends. This activity also provides an opportunity for elderly to give back to community. We donate art work produced by our elderly and children to someone in need of love and care.
Elderly Tea Party
Neighbours and resident’s family and friends are encouraged to attend a monthly Tea Party at a nursing home.
Secret Mission Project
On the night before any special celebration like Easter, Eid, Christmas etc. our Little Helpers secretly stick hand-made cards on the door of their elderly friend’s room and leave balloons, chocolates and gifts in their room to give them a surprise when they wake up in the morning.
Story Time
Story time for seniors brings everyone together, young and old alike. Reading storybooks by children to the elderly creates opportunities for bonding, warmth and love. For the elderly who loved to read all their lives, listening to someone read to them brings great comfort and joy.
We Love our Elderly Friends
Playdate in a Park
We arrange playdates where our kids visit and play with the elderly in parks during their regular outings.
BBQ with Elderly
Little Helpers helps in arrange a fun BBQ party at nursing homes.
Lets’ Read Together
Kids in groups, visit nursing homes where they read newspapers, books of combined interest or letters for their elderly friends.
Playtime with Elderly
We play games like Balling, cricket and board games with our elderly friends at nursing homes on a regular basis.
Special Celebration Gifts or Events
We distribute gifts on special celebrations to spread love and kindness within the community.
Writing kindness letters to the elderly at nursing homes.