I've worked with young children for over twenty years, and through my experience
I have really come to the belief that young children and also the elderly
are the invisible citizens within our communities.
Bringing them together is very important for everybody.
My own grandfather was in a nursing home as well
and I thought about the enjoyment that he would always have when visitors came,
especially young children.
Who can tell me, where are we going this morning?
Milford House!
During our visit, before we leave Tigger's Honeypot
we sit the children down and talk about what we might see at Milford House, what we might do.
The residents, we talk about them. We take up drawings and paintings.
On our walk there, obviously there's a lot of road safety talk
and when we arrive at Milford House
it's very important we come together as a group,
we wash our hands and talk about what the residents might be doing inside.
Then we meet the residents upstairs in a recreation room.
Nonna mia! Look what I've got for you nonna mia!
The residents, some of them they don't have experience of having children
or being a grandmother and this has just opened a new world for them.
Children and older people coming together in a program such as this, clearly have multiple benefits.
We're an ageing society and people have children much later in life.
We're a very mobile and global society
so maybe their grandparents aren't near them, living in Australia.
So many children quite possibly don't have any relationship with anyone
much older than their parents.
It's just the whole community together.
Brings everyone to the community and it's a lovely social activity together.
It's important to have an activity because it brings both the residents and the children together.
There are some very close relationships that have developed,
in particular Min, when she goes to Milford House,
there's one resident that she calls her granny
even though there is a language barrier between the both of them,
words aren't necessary.
There's also another resident, Margaret, she has animals, they're her pets
and she carries those around.
In 2008 when we used to visit, the children weren't allowed to touch them.
Now, as soon as we get there, she's giving her wombat and kangaroo out to the children.
There's lots of sharing and talking and loving.
On the occasions when Milford House has been to visit us at Tigger's Honeypot,
we're very lucky they can drive their bus right up to the children's playground.
Guys! They're coming!
The children obviously waiting in anticipation, there's lots of excitement.
They're coming!
Can you see that hair? The white hair?
That's my grandma - the white hair.
As they're coming off the bus, the children will help those residents that are using walking frames.
C'mon madame!
Or they'll help push the wheelchairs into our yard where we meet together.
On different occasions we've had art experiences together, painting.
The children have read stories. We have sung songs.
I think the future of our built environment, our cities, our towns,
is one where we design neighbourhoods, localities,
in such a way that we make it easy for people to get together,
that we don't isolate different groups in the community.
And that can come right down to the design of a building.
During my university studies, I came across some research that identified overseas
many childcare centres being built next door to aged care facilities
and they would come together on a daily basis
and just the benefits for both children and the elderly,
that would be lovely.