'Never give up' - elderly residents at Leamington care home share advice for younger generations

Residents at a care home in Leamington have shared their heart-warming advice with local youngsters as part of a special intergenerational initiative.

With age comes experience, and often some good advice too, which is why residents at Care UK’s Priors House, in Old Milverton Lane, have decided to share their life lessons with pupils at Kings High School and Myton School.

As part of the ‘In My Day’ initiative, led by healthcare charity Kissing It Better, which aims to make a difference in older people’s lives by bringing generations together, residents have been meeting with the pupils virtually on a weekly basis for informal chats and to compare their experiences.

The pearls of wisdom included 90-year-old Muff’s advice to: “never judge a book by its cover”.

Eunice, aged 92, said: “Take up a hobby.”

Two pieces of advice emphasised the importance of school with Norman, aged 71, recommending to ‘never skip school’, while Sheila, aged 90, added: “Concentrate on education.”

88-year-old Derek’s advice was: “Never give up.”

Francine Summers, home manager at Priors House, said: “It was lovely to hear the advice the residents shared with the pupils at Kings High School and Myton School.

“Here at Priors House, we know just how important intergenerational relationships can be.

"They have been proven to be enriching for all ages, and give older people a sense of purpose, so our regular ‘In my Days’ sessions have provided a fantastic opportunity for both children and residents to learn from each other.

“We are looking forward to building upon our relationship with Kings High School and Myton School, and would like to say a big thank you to Kissing It Better for helping us facilitate the exchanges – we hope to see the pupils in person as soon as we’re able.”