Our society is very individualistic. We study, work, and repeat it all. And somewhere in between all of these, we forget about our family and friends. So what happens when we retire? What do we do? This question is crucial. Many retired elderly people live alone in cities. Some of them do not have families or live away from their children. And some of them have no partners. They become bored and depressed. And this is a topic of concern in most developed societies. So to hopefully solve this problem, Australia is conducting a social experiment that is available to watch in form of a documentary.
What is the documentary about?
“Old People’s Home For 4-Year-Olds” is a social experiment that brings together retirement home residents and preschoolers. The documentary shows the interaction between the two age groups. They interact to affect each other’s health, happiness, and understanding. So, it is a simple, yet heartwarming and thought-provoking documentary about aging, life, connections, and the things that make us human.
Children as young as four are brought into the home of retired elders to see how they act with each other. The result is an adorable pairing of old people who need help not only physically but emotionally too. The elders are invited into the kids’ daycare center where they interact and help the children learn. The children help the elders by cheering them up and keeping them company. Furthermore, it shows how important human connection is for people of all ages.
It is a simple, yet heartwarming and thought-provoking documentary about aging, life, connections, and the things that make us human. The documentary also lays out some thought-provoking facts about old age and family relations. As the experiment is conducted shocking discoveries are made about how neglected the elders are.
What makes this documentary great
The show deals with hard statistics. According to the documentary. 40% of seniors do not have visitors in their nursing homes. Similarly, more than 50% of elders report depressive symptoms. Even the old people featured in the documentary feel lonely and neglected by their family and friends. They say that their families are “too busy” to visit them.
So keep tissues by your side as the documentary starts. However, you may not just cry when you watch this wonderful documentary. The experts behind the scenes and us viewers start noticing the rising of confidence in the elders are they are introduced to the 4-year-old kids. Children also benefit from the elder participants. The elderly teach them valuable about life and relationship. And most children develop friendships with the older participants. It is adorable to see growth in the older and younger participants just from receiving attention.
The efforts are made by experts to bring down the walls of the older participants. And we can notice the spirit of life reigniting in the lives of the elderly in the show. They start becoming playful and making friends with the children. It is heartwarming to see the elders who initially insisted on walking with a cane to start running with the kids.
Even though the show might be deemed “manipulative”, it surely works. It also makes viewers think twice before abandoning their parents or grandparents.
You can watch two seasons of “Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds” on Stan. You can also buy it as a download on Apple iTunes or Google Play Movies.
Also read: Psychological Experiments with Interesting Results
