SBS Dateline: My 93-year-old Flatmate

Imagine an aged care home where elderly residents live side-by-side with young students. This aged care home is a reality in the Netherland’s - and it's been a huge success. On tonight’s episode of Dateline on SBS, you can find out more about this unique approach to intergenerational living.

The students live at the aged care home rent free, which is helping to solve a housing crisis for them. In return, they spend 30 hours a month socialising with the older residents.

There is no doubt that it’s a huge benefit to both the young and old.

Amsterdam was short of 9,000 student rooms in 2014 and two years earlier, the Dutch government cut aged care funding for people over 80.

This prompted Humanitas to come up with an innovative and cheap way of providing better care, and company for their residents.

“I think that the students influence the whole tone of the conversation here,” Gea Sijpkes from Humanitas tells Dateline. “So that it’s not only about death, sickness and old age, but also about youth, about parties, about girlfriends.”

Annie Middleburg, an 84-year-old  living at the aged care home says that things are a lot more fun when she’s spending time with youngsters like 22-year-old Jurrien Mentink.

“Things are a lot more fun when we’re all together,” Annie says as Jurrien shows her how to use Facebook on her tablet. “They become like your own sons…you consider them your own family.”

“What I see from the elderly is that they really enjoy the little things,” Jurrien muses. “Young people are so focused on their future that they don’t notice things like how beautiful the park is, they’re just racing through it on their way to work or school.”

“It’s a nice feeling to help them find their final moments of happiness,” he says.

See the story tonight on Dateline at 9:30pm on SBS or SBS On Demand. Click here for more information. 

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