Adopt a grandparent campaign viral with 90,000 volunteers

A care home group’s idea to encourage people to ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ has gone viral with worldwide interest in matching care home residents with volunteers for regular video calls.

The ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ campaign launched by UK-based care home group CHD Living, has gained global momentum with almost 90,000 people signing up across the globe to adopt their very own ‘grandparents’.

Volunteers from across Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere are offering to connect with care home residents virtually to combat loneliness during the pandemic. For many, the campaign has helped them to fill a void felt by the loss of their own grandparents or a lack of grandparent figures in their lives.

Tech worker: 'I could not imagine feeling such strong emotions'

Employees at US tech firm NetApp in California hosted a virtual dance session to enable hundreds of care home residents at CHD Living's 13 care homes in London and Surrey to dance together. By dialling in to a Zoom, 30 workers from NetApp led the chair-based dancing to get residents grooving to catchy beats like Shakira’s ‘Waka Waka’.

NetApp employee Melissa Flaccavento said: “Volunteering for Adopt a Grandparent has been a very touching experience.

“It was the first time I volunteered online since Covid-19 started and I could not imagine feeling such strong emotions. One hour of our time, for those ‘grandparents’, made the difference, and you could see from their smiles.

“I think that there are different ways of learning, and volunteering is one of those. So, I advise everyone to stop for a second from their busy lives and take part into this initiative because it can really change their day.”

The Adopt a Grandparent campaign originally saw the care home group pair elderly residents from its 13 Surrey and South London-based care homes with local children and adults who don’t have or see grandparents of their own. It is now getting lots of enquiries from people wanting to be virtual volunteers during the Covid pandemic.

'Our residents love meeting new people'

Shaleeza Hasham, head of hospitality and communications at CHD Living, said: “Prioritising the mental and physical wellbeing of our residents is key all year round. However, it’s been even more necessary since the onset of COVID-19. This was the main reason we launched Adopt a Grandparent.

“NetApp’s offer to host a virtual dance session was incredibly generous and provided a wonderful opportunity for international connections to be made whilst keeping residents engaged and mobile.

“Our residents love meeting new people, after all, and who doesn't love a good dance session? The seated dances were fun, engaging, and - importantly - easy to follow. The response we witnessed from our residents was heartwarming to see – they were smiling for the rest of the day. We hope to repeat the event very soon."

Each of CHD Living’s care homes has a Facebook Portal TV to make interaction possible.

Care home resident Ken from The Summers care home was matched with Amy, aged 14, who signed up to Adopt a Grandparent as part of her Duke of Edinburgh Award. Amy and Ken have been speaking twice a week and Amy regularly sings and plays the guitar for the resident. Ken lives with bipolar disorder and CHD Living has said the campaign 'has been wonderful in helping to lower his anxiety'.

If you would like to adopt a grandparent, you can sign up by completing an online form at CHD Living’s website. You can then be paired with an individual resident based on your common interests and a video call will then be arranged between yourself and a resident.

click here for more details or to contact CHD Living Ltd