This Christmas, Blueleaf Care, a nationwide business that helps care homes deliver better outcomes, is bringing joy to elderly care home residents by connecting them with local school children through its Cards of Kindness campaign. By bringing the generations together, Blueleaf aims to spread festive cheer during one of the loneliest times for many older people in our communities.
For many, Christmas is a joyful time filled with fun and laughter, but not for everyone. Over a million elderly people each year, especially those over 75 years old and living in care homes, find Christmas to be one of the loneliest times of the year, spent remembering loved ones who have passed away.
However, loneliness can be tackled by connecting the elderly with some of the youngest members of the local community – school children – and through the giving of a handmade Christmas card as an act of kindness.
Ellen Brown, Sales and Marketing Director of Blueleaf, says it’s a ‘win-win’ for residents and children alike: “We want to reduce loneliness in the local community, and know that the elderly can be cheered by the warm and infectious joy of children. We hope that the residents receiving a card made by a local primary school child will also help to improve their communication, memory, and confidence at what can be a difficult time,” she says.
“Our Cards of Kindness programme is also beneficial to the school children as it instils a sense of community, and builds their awareness and appreciation for the older generation. It also fosters compassion and empathy through a creative project that encourages them to think about creating an uplifting message for others,” Ellen explains. “We hope this initiative encourages primary schools across the country to build lasting connections with the elderly in their local communities.”
Blueleaf Care will provide each primary school with card-making kits so that the children can create personalised, handmade Christmas cards for residents in a nearby care home.
Blueleaf Care hopes other local schools and care homes will also help spread the warmth and joy of connecting the young and old in our local communities during the holiday season and beyond.
