They Combined a Preschool for Kids with a Dementia Care Home and Got Heavenly Results

Bringing together the oldest and the youngest of God’s children, England’s Belong has opened a dementia care home that is open to preschoolers.

Modern culture often values those who are the current producers, doers, and achievers the most. While countries view aging as well as how they invest in their children differently, it’s not uncommon for the elderly and the littles to be overlooked.

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However, Belong and Ready Generations have partnered to support those at the edges of life. And, it is a brilliant and beautiful arrangement! 

Childcare Teams Up With Dementia Care Home

Belong is a non-profit provider of senior housing. Specializing in dementia care, Belong operates senior care villages throughout the Northwest and West Midlands regions of England. Belong’s villages support older individuals living independently and offer a variety of shops and services on-site. 

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The eighth community in Belong’s dementia specialty group and the fourth in Cheshire County, Belong Chester opened in July 2022. Belong Chester is the first location to add a daycare to their village, which is funded and run by the UK-based charity, Ready Generations.  

Belong and Ready Generations focused on the concept of “communal flourishing.” The groups created an opportunity for those who are our hope and those who are our history to share and learn from one another.

Stimulation, learning, and fun are known to slow the progression of dementia. And the preschoolers who interact with the Belong Chester residents certainly provide those things. The children also benefit from their interactions at the dementia care home. They receive abundant love and attention as they eat, read stories, exercise, and craft together.      

Leading The Way

Sheila Little, Lord Mayor of Cheshire, announced the official opening of Belong Chester in November 2023 and stated, “This is a particularly exciting and innovative development as it includes a nursery, which benefits both the children who attend and the residents.” 

Belong Chester is innovative in its approach to care. The $24.5 million, state-of-the-art village includes both family-sized 24-hour care units and independent living apartments, a nursery, a bistro, a creative arts center, a salon, a gym, and more. It is open to the public, which results in plenty of interaction with members of the Chester community. 

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Seattle, Washington is home to a similar facility. The Intergenerational Learning Center at Mount St. Vincent nursing home opened in 2015. Filmmaker Evan Briggs produced a documentary about the Seattle home that has its 400 adults in assisted living gathering with children for activities like dancing and storytelling, as well as simply visiting with one another. Evan’s documentary is entitled The Growing Season.

Whether in England or America or anywhere else in the world, those of us in the middle must always care for our brothers and sisters who need extra care. Belong Chester and The Intergenerational Learning Center have recognized the wonder of older and younger generations. And they've brought them together to create great places for both.  

“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.” Psalms 71:18

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h/t: Good News Network

Featured Image Credit: Facebook - Belong Chester/Ready Generations

Hally is a freelance writer, blogger, and mental health advocate. A former school counselor, Hally works for a nonprofit that distributes tax dollars to mental health and prevention education providers that serve her county's kids and families. She's a contributor to a devotional and two essay collectives, and she shares resources and wisdom regarding parenting teens, mental health, faith, adoption, and more at http://www.hallyjwells.com where she strives to "Dig Deep and Reach High." She and her husband have three adult children and one rascally beagle pup. Hally loves travel, her book club sisters, personality tests, and a great glass of iced tea.