A smile a day keeps the doctor away?

As reported in The Christian Science Monitor, Amsterdam, Netherlands, needs thousands more rooms for university students, so the Humanitas aged care home found a small solution. They offered six rooms to university students -- rent free -- if the students spend 30 hours a month interacting with residents. Students influence the tone of conversation, away from sickness and age toward youth, parties and girlfriends. Young and old people have become very close while living side-by-side.

                                                                                                                           Courtesy Photo
Here a student named Jurrien, 22, shows a resident named Annie, 84, how to use Facebook on her tablet. Of course these friendships sometimes come to a sudden end. Jurrien recalls a 105 year old neighbor. "She wished me a good life, to get the most out of it," he said, shortly before she died. "It's a nice feeling to help them find their final moments of happiness."