This document discusses the benefits of intergenerational physical activity programs between early childhood centers and care homes. It notes that both young children and older adults tend to be insufficiently active. Intergenerational programs have led to measurable improvements in both groups' activity levels and well-being. Staff and participants report meaningful connections and relationships being formed. The approach has also shown potential for wider community impact through relationship-building and resource sharing. Intergenerational practice is presented as a simple, cost-effective way to improve outcomes for both young and old.

1. Gillian Johnston
Depute Manager,
Cairns Early Childhood Centre,
East Ayrshire Council
Laura Haggarty
CAPA Improvement Programme
Advisor,
Care Inspectorate
Improving outcomes for children and older
adults through intergenerational practice

3. Why Physical Activity?
• Care home residents spend 80-90% of their time
seated or lying down
• Six million Britons (40%) aged between 40-60
years fail to manage even 1 brisk 20 min
walk/month
• People are 20% less active than they were in the
1960s
• Sedentary behaviour is a risk factor on its own for
health conditions – ‘sitting is the new smoking’

4. Is physical activity a concern in
early years?
91% of children aged 2-4 years do
not meet the Chief Medical
Officers’ physical activity guidelines
for their age group
http://www.ssehsactive.org.uk/beststart/index.html

5. Guidelines for early years, children and young people
• Physical activity should be encouraged from birth
• Children of pre-school at least 180 minutes (3 hours), spread throughout the day.
• All children and young people should engage in moderate to vigorous intensity
physical activity for at least 60 minutes and up to several hours every day.
• Vigorous intensity activities, including those that strengthen muscle and bone,
should be incorporated at least three days a week.
• All children and young people should minimise the amount of time spent being
sedentary (sitting) for extended periods.

6. Active Children = Active Adults
• Movement patterns established in the early
years is sustained at a moderate level into the
primary school years
• Establishing a high level of movement early on
in life may have implications for activity levels
in later childhood and beyond

7. Opportunities for improvement…
Measureable..
Meaningful..
Sustainable..

8. Vision
Aim Statement
Change Ideas

11. Results
UCL
LCL
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
20/02/18
23/02/18
27/02/18
06/03/18
09/03/18
13/03/18
16/03/18
20/03/18
23/03/18
17/04/18
20/04/18
24/04/18
27/04/18
01/05/18
04/05/18
08/05/18
11/05/18
15/05/18
18/05/18
22/05/18
29/05/18
05/06/18
08/06/18
12/06/18
15/06/18
19/06/18
22/06/18
26/06/18
04/09/18
07/09/18
25/09/18
28/09/18
02/10/18
05/10/18
Date Of Session
Percentage of children scoring >4 on both Leuven Wellbeing & Involvement Scales
Percent
Residents visit
nursery
Change 2:
Set focus
Change 1:
Environment

12. UCL
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
20/02/18
23/02/18
27/02/18
06/03/18
09/03/18
13/03/18
16/03/18
20/03/18
23/03/18
17/04/18
20/04/18
24/04/18
27/04/18
01/05/18
04/05/18
08/05/18
12/06/18
22/06/18
04/09/18
07/09/18
25/09/18
28/09/18
02/10/18
09/10/18
Date of Session
Resident's Average Time Spent Standing and/or Stepping
Time
Change 1:
Environment
LH not
present
LH not
presentChange 2:
Set Topic
Residents visit nursery

14. Staff engagement
• ‘Sessions are completely different now; everyone is
gaining so much more’
• ‘It’s great to be able to share our ideas and try them out –
changing the environment worked well today’
• ‘Having the children here really changes the whole
atmosphere, we all look forward to it’
• ‘I’m really enjoying working with the care home, getting
to know the residents and seeing the children’s confidence
grow over time’

15. Special connections made

16. Children’s language and perceptions have changed…

17. Wider impact…spread
Community
Local
network
Resource
publication
1 14
in 12
months

18. 13 Care inspectorate, Gargieston Early Childhood
Centre and Springhill care home-.mp4

19. Key Messages
Quality improvement leads to
measureable, meaningful, sustainable
outcomes
Heart warming relationships helps
build communities
Intergenerational practice is a simple,
cost effective solution

20. Thank you..
Laura.haggarty@careinspectorate.com
@laurahaggarty5
Gillian.johnston2@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
@gilljon1