Twelve years ago, a Dutch nursing home — the Woon-en Zorgcentrum Humanitas Deventer — implemented a unique program. 

In exchange for 30 hours of their time and companionship each month, local college students could live in the care center rent-free. 

“It started with the idea of ​​becoming the warmest home for seniors in Deventer,” Gea Sijpkes, director of WZC Humanitas, said in a statement. “And we wanted to do that with the energy of the youth.”

For Sijpkes, it’s a win-win. Recent studies find that intergenerational friendships can mitigate stress, lower depression, and boost self-esteem in older people. 

“At the same time, there was a shortage of student housing, which meant that more and more young people were staying at home. I then thought: why don’t I combine the two?”

The director went on to explain that “the students are not caregivers” but instead “good neighbors.”

Although pool days, celebrations, and community dinners regularly bring all of the residents together organically, there are no strict rules when it comes to defining “volunteer hours.” 

In fact, much of the students’ time is simply spent sitting and chatting with their newfound friends. 

“It doesn't all have to be grand and exciting,” explained Peter Kolb, one of the center’s residential students. “If you talk to each other and show interest in each other, that already gives so much meaning.” 

“They taught me to slow down a bit more,” echoed another residential student, Dakota Donath. “That doesn't make me older, but more aware of life.”

Despite being tucked away in the small river-lined city of Deventer, WZC Humanitas’ intergenerational program has gained global fame in the last decade, serving as a model for nursing homes and college campuses around the world. 

Their influence can even be traced to convents. 

In January 2004, the Augustinian sisters of Utrecht adopted a version of the program in which three young women in their early twenties, all with medical degrees, moved in with the sisters to be their new housemates. 

“They bring liveliness to the house and support the sisters with various tasks … providing meals, reception work, help with computers and mobile phones, and medical questions,” WZC Humanitas wrote on the website. “The initiative has proven to be a great success.” 

Sijpkes said the beauty of their program is that it’s “so simple, but the impact is so big.”

“It does not require huge investments or complex care structures,” she added. “It only requires people who are prepared to share their lives with others from a different generation.”

In the future, the nursing home plans to implement “Woonstudent 2.0,” a roommate pairing program that would assign senior residents and college students to the same housing unit so that they can live side-by-side. 

“We continue to innovate,” Sijpkes said. “We are exploring ways to further enrich the interaction between students and residents and [we] want to create more space for joint projects, making optimal use of the skills and experiences of both generations.”

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Header images via Woon-en Zorgcentrum Humanitas Deventer