Bridging The Gap

Retirement home residents Hamish and Zina reveal how their lives were changed by a group of pre-schoolers

- Hannah Davies

Endless naps, watching TV and boredom are what we often associate with living in a retirement home. But C4’s new documentary, Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, aims to change that.

Based on a scheme running in America, the two-part series turns St Monica’s retirement village in Bristol into a pre-school nursery – with 10 four-year-olds sharing their lives with 11 elderly residents.

With many older people suffering from depression and loneliness, the aim is to see if the children’s presence bring a little joy back into their lives. Two of the show’s stars, Hamish Hall, 89, and Zina Wilson, 77, tell us more…

What’s your experience of an old people’s home?

Zina: It’s been a huge change for me. My husband, Bernard, has dementia, so after we’d moved in, I just thought, ‘Now what?’ The entertainment wasn’t really for me – I’m not one for bingo or croquet – and I felt quite depressed for a while. Also, being in a home feels like waiting to die!