Care home residents have held up signs offering advice to younger generations including “keep smiling”, “love your family” – and “play golf”.
Staff at Belleaire House asked residents to reflect on their life experiences – and asked what advice they would give to young people today.
They wrote their answers on a whiteboard and ranged from starting a family to travelling and living life to the fullest.
Some residents, like 90-year-old Esther, advised young people to focus on their career and “pick a job you’re interested in’.
Joyce, 90, recommended they “stick in with education.”
Others at the care home in Greenock, Scotland focused on family life, with Morag, 86, advising to “settle down with family”.
Isabel, 78, explained young people should “appreciate life;” Margaret, 80, suggested they “go travelling the world;” and 90-year-old Ernie said “live life to your fullest.”
While there were many messages to be kind, be good to people and live an honest life, Bill, 84, believed the secret to happiness was to ‘play golf’.
Amongst a list of excellent advice Terry, 69, encapsulated it by stating “you can be all and everything you want to be,” while 88-year-old Alice and 78-year-old Lena provided a simple tip everyone can start immediately – smile more.
Tracy Docherty, general manager at Belleaire House said: “This was such a great activity to undertake as we approach the end of the year, and it generated a fun and lively discussion amongst both residents and colleagues.
“Our residents have a wealth of knowledge and life experience between them, and it was fantastic to see them recognise that – with one of our residents proudly announcing that they were ‘living history’.
“Their words of wisdom are very much appreciated – though some of them were too ‘risqué’ to capture, which gave us all a giggle!
“I know I’ll be keeping their words in mind as we move into 2025.”
