Benefits of TLC Healthcare’s intergenerational program proven
Intergenerational care model delivers proven outcomes
- Research backed: Study confirms intergenerational care benefits
- Better outcomes: Boosts empathy confidence and wellbeing
- Structured model: Outperforms traditional childcare
- Scalable approach: TLC delivers model at scale in Australia
New research has assessed the benefits of intergenerational care programs, with multiple benefits for both young and old.
Peer-reviewed research by the University of Melbourne backs intergenerational programs, such as TLC Early Learning’s JELLYFISH program, by proving they have cognitive, physical, and social benefits for older adults, and improve children’s confidence, empathy, and attitudes toward ageing.
The study, published in the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, used observational tools such as the Leuven scale, which measures children’s emotional wellbeing and involvement, and CLASS Pre-K, which measures teacher child interactions, to measure the impact of co-located care.
The results showed that intentional, academically designed interactions between children and aged care residents, such as TLC Healthcare’s JELLYFISH program, produce outcomes that traditional childcare do not.
“We don’t just put different ages in a room and hope for the best,” said TLC Healthcare CEO Lou Pascuzzi.
“Our JELLYFISH program educators are trained to bridge the generation gap, ensuring our aged care residents are treated with the respect they deserve and children are stretched intellectually by the wisdom of their grandfriends.”
TLC Early Learning is the only aged care provider in Australia delivering the model at scale.
The study had five key findings:
- Researchers saw consistent jumps in empathy, emotional regulation, and social confidence.
- Residents acted as language mentors, teaching complex vocabulary such as the word magenta, through storytelling.
- The program creates active partnerships that improve well-being for both the children and the residents.
- Children gain an understanding of the world through the lived histories of their grandfriends.
- High-quality learning occurs best in varied environments, including art, music, and play, where generations sit side-by-side as equals.
With the traditional aged care sector under margin pressure, TLC Healthcare is pursuing a diversified strategy, co-locating residential aged care alongside medical centres, health clubs, early learning centres, training facilities and cafés in Melbourne and Geelong.
TLC has also diversified into warehouses, a maintenance group, and manufacturing operations.
TLC Early Learning’s curriculum has been developed in collaboration with Melbourne University and Griffith University.
