Illinois Youth Help Out in Nursing Home


Cross-generational interactions between students and older adults are positive. Students share talents and friendships with nursing care and assisted living environments. Often, high schools and universities include credit hours for community work, a valuable opportunity for taking learning out of the classroom to simultaneously enliven students' curriculum and quality of life for residents.

During the summer, a group of high school students from Frankfort, IL, visited Park Villa Nursing and Rehab Center in nearby Palos Heights. The students belong to the Color Guard and Marching Phoenix Drum. Musical duets and games of Bingo and Wii Bowling provided hours of fun.

“We wanted to brighten their day and hopefully make a difference,” Color Guard Capt. Laura Reis told The Herald-News, a Chicago Sun-Times Publication.

The students' talents in music was a big plus for the visits; the residents are fond of music and responded to the youthful enthusiasm of the high school students.

“We decided on the nursing home because we knew the residents enjoyed the music, and we thought they would also enjoy playing games and having some company,” Laura told the media source.

Categories: