The Atlantic is a reputable American magazine that focuses on foreign affairs, politics, economics and cultural commentary. Jansen’s article takes an in-depth look at Providence Mount St. Vincent, an Intergenerational Learning Centre (ILC), in Seattle, Washington. The preschool on the Mount’s premises is located within a nursing home and was set up in 1991. This arrangement is beneficial to seniors, and Jansen cites numerous studies which ‘have linked social interaction with decreased loneliness, delayed mental decline, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of disease and death’ (2). Parents of children who attend the centre have noted that their kids are ‘prone to feel more comfortable around those with disabilities and impairments’. Moreover research suggests that kids who spend time with older people are less likely to exhibit ageism and see seniors as being capable. One of the most powerful parts of the piece is a story recounted by Jansen: A ‘resident with advanced Alzheimer’s whose speech was incomprehensible garble was able to speak in complete, fluid, and appropriate sentences the moment she was wheeled into the baby room’ (6).
Jansen, T.R. (2016, March) The Preschool Inside a Nursing Home.The Atlantic, 235 – 253. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/01/the-preschool-inside-a-nursing-home/424827/
