Daycare Inside a Nursing Home? Yes, and It's a Big Hit in Seattle

The Intergenerational Learning Center, at the Providence Mount St. Vincent senior care community in West Seattle, Wash., practices a daycare model where older adults care for children as young as six weeks old, reports WPTV . "Somebody might have profound dementia and maybe has been a mother all their life, and then when you hold a child, just think about what comes back to you," said program co-founder Charlene Boyd. The community has been participating in the daycare program for 30 years, and Boyd sees it as very beneficial for both the seniors and for pre-kindergarten children. "The kids know the vulnerability of these older adults," she said. "They see the frailty, but they embrace it." Boyd added, "Sometimes that young-old engagement will make the world of difference, even if it's just for a moment."