The kids bringing joy to the elderly, one pool noodle at a time

When the balloons and pool noodles come out at an Auckland rest home, it's game on for a bunch of Kindy kids during their regular visits.

Rosedale Retirement Village is staving off loneliness among its residents with visits from local pre-schoolers - they sing, play games together and have morning tea.

Research shows up to a third of older people experience loneliness, with those in residential care more likely to feel alone due to lack of mobility and independence.

The village's activities coordinator Jolene Chidrawi started the initiative last year with the aim of creating links with the local community, and a dozen pre-schoolers from Lollipops Albany visit every fortnight.

She said it's a highlight for the village's residents.

"They do bingo, they've got happy hours all of that but kids are just something completely different which I think they appreciate," Chidrawi said.

"They are excited, they don't usually show their excitement beforehand but you can see their faces change as soon as they see the kids. Everybody loves children, especially when they are so excited and they are fun it's lovely for them."

She said the children liven up the atmosphere as soon as they arrive.

"It's just something different in a usually very dull existence...the kids make it beautiful."

The retirement village sends its bus to Lollipops Albany and the children arrive ready for a good time.

Together with the elderly residents, they sing and play games including everyone's favourite - a balloon game with pool noodles as bats.

The visit brings the residents joy, including Mary Howard who wields a pool noodle like a pro.

"I think it's wonderful. I love seeing the children and I love being with the children. It gives us laughs."

Fellow resident Angela Hobson said it reminds her of when her own grandchildren were young.

"Just watching how they are and some of them are absolutely excited themselves and others keep going and grab another balloon and another one looks sideways as if so say that was my balloon. They're just gorgeous they're really gorgeous."

Glenice Griffin enjoys watching the children interact.

"You never quite know what they're going to do and they play amongst themselves very closely and they love being here. I should imagine some get disappointed if they don't come," she said.

"It's very different to being here talking to myself or reading a book...look at the two in the chair here, they just make it all worthwhile. I hope they keep coming."

The children take turns coming on these trips.

Four year old Kai Moata'ane's highlight is the balloon game.

"I only have my poppa...[I like] playing with balloons.

Zander Van Zyl is 3-and-a-half and this is what he enjoys about the visits: "Grandmas...playing with the balloons...I like them [to] fight me because I want to fight them too."

After singing and playing, it's time for morning tea.

Lolipops Albany team leader Jae Wilson said the visits are a huge highlight for the children.

"When we get back to the centre they'll tell us 'oh we had so much fun today did you see we saw our friend from the last time we were there, I got to give this ladie cuddles and I got to give that gentleman a handshake'," she said.

"They talk about it for weeks to come and when it's time to come again they're all fighting to see who's going to be chosen to come and I do leave a couple behind in tears because they can't all come on the same day."

Wilson said some of the children do not have grandparents living close by.

"They manage to build those relationships here and they like to tell their parents 'I saw granny today' or 'I saw grandpa today' and the parents understand that they're getting to make that relationship with an elderly person."

How many people are lonely

University of Auckland professor Janine Wiles has talked to many older people about what makes them feel isolated in her role as a social scientist who specialises in gerontology.

"Some of the things that make us more likely to feel lonely are living alone, if we've lost a partner or close family or friends, if we have reduced mobility and also if we are feeling a burden...and many of those things might precipitate a move to residential care."

"Loneliness is not a factor of being old, just because we're older doesn't mean we necessarily can expect to be lonelier. It may be that we need more support or less barriers to be able to connect."

Wiles said loneliness can be complex to describe.

"It is really difficult to measure and when we talk to older people who are experiencing loneliness or expressing a desire for more companionship it's often much more complex than I'm lonely or I'm not."

Wiles said having access to places where people can interact with others from diverse backgrounds, such as libraries and clubs, is important for social connection.

"Affordability and cost of living is really important, even things like being able to afford a cup of coffee so you can meet a friend. That's a lot more than having a cup of coffee it's the opportunity to connect, opportunity to be out in a public space and see other people interacting which we know is really helpful."

A report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) Commission on Social Connection states loneliness is common everywhere, with about one in six people feeling lonely globally.

It found young people and those living in low-income countries were more likely to experience loneliness.

The report's numbers on social isolation show up to a third of older adults are isolated, and a quarter of teenagers.

PhD candidate Melanie Stowell said now more than ever, people need to have a level of digital knowledge just to access social services and maintain social connections.

Without it, their psychological, social, physical, cognitive and financial well-being could suffer.

Meanwhile, the WHO said research showed that having strong social connections can help people live longer.

"People who are socially connected are often healthier. Support from others may, for instance, lower levels of inflammation and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke," it said.

Glenice said she found it hard when she could no longer drive and now living in a retirement village, she has a way to push reset when she's feeling lonely.

"There's a door there, go outside and go for a walk...and I go round the building, come back and have a cup of tea. You've got to work on it, it doesn't go away on its own."

Chidrawi said she looks out for changes in the village residents' routines and demeanors.

"They don't usually say look I'm lonely but there are signs. You can see when someone starts isolating or someone who usually likes to get involved with activities, when they seem to withdraw," she said.

"We usually recognise that as a sign of loneliness and we do try and involve them a bit more."

She said the visit from the young children was a success.

"Absolutely amazing, as always the children were well behaved today...it was amazing as always and I'm sure you saw the smiles on my residents faces, very happy with that as always."

Chidrawi said the retirement village residents will be smiling for hours to come.

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