August 5, 2022
At The Parkway Senior Living, we are always excited to celebrate the Back-to-School season! Partnering with local schools is typically a year-long effort, but there is a special focus on the time when most students are heading back to the classroom- whether in person or virtually. Our residents find it easy to relate to school outreach efforts as many of them can recall a time when they returned to school as well.
Fostering these relationships helps build a sense of community among students, teachers, residents, and staff. There are plenty of advantages to intergenerational activities- such as decreasing the social and economic isolation so many seniors feel. Research has shown that seniors’ health, memory, and balance can benefit from volunteering regularly with children. Not only do these relationships benefit the older generations, but also the younger ones as well. Studies have also shown that children who interact with elders are less likely than others to start illegal drug use, will more likely have improved communication with their parents, and are less likely to experience depression. Lastly, these experiences can create timeless memories for both the seniors and children involved, such as making a new friend, trying a new game or activity, or listening to stories of each other’s life.
We are working with a local high school down the road to build a partnership. Our hope is to support their students as they go back to school with a celebration for the upcoming year.
It’s important today in our society to bridge the gap between older adults and adolescents. Elders have a lot of wisdom and advice that can be passed down to the next generation that can hopefully help them in the future.
High school age students are usually the ones that are struggling the most in life with finding their place in society. We want to remind them they have people who support them and would like to build a grandchild/grandparent type bond with them, since they may not have that in their lives. If they do have that bond with their own grandparents, it will still be helpful to build additional positive relationships for the high schoolers and our seniors.
The Parkway Senior Living will continue to show their support in a lot of different ways this Back-to-School season and throughout the school year.
The Parkway Senior Living in Blue Springs, MO offers senior villas, independent senior apartments, assisted living, and memory care with a variety of services and a range of floor plan options. Amenities include restaurant dining, 24-hour bistro, concierge service, housekeeping, events and entertainment, personal care, transportation services, and more. Centrally located near St. Mary’s Medical Center and St. Luke’s Eastwith convenient access to major shopping centers and attractions, including Adams Point Golf Course, KC Royals Stadum, KC Chiefs Stadium, Sporting KC, KC Comets, KC Mavericks, Adams Dairy Landing, and Blue Springs Parks, Trails, and Lakes .