Every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., a room at Arbor Terrace Crabapple fills with scarves, songs, and voices generations apart. Groovin' with Grandfriends is a free music therapy program from Perfect Harmony Health that pairs toddlers with residents each week. The music is what gets everyone in the room. The friendships are what bring them back.
Take Josiah, one of the youngest regulars. One of his favorite grandfriends is Mary Brantley, a resident who spent 30 years teaching kindergarten, and the two have been building a friendship for years now. Kenzi Taylor, outreach director and music therapist at Perfect Harmony Health, says she watches the connections deepen week to week: names remembered, high-fives, hugs at the door.
There's something else happening in that room, too. Children who come regularly grow comfortable around wheelchairs, walkers, and oxygen tanks, so aging stops looking unfamiliar and starts looking like just another part of being a person. Josiah doesn't see equipment. He sees his friends, the music, and a room full of fun.
For the residents, the reward is watching the same small faces return and grow. "It's such a joy," Brantley said. Perfect Harmony Health hopes to bring Groovin' with Grandfriends to more senior living communities across Georgia.
11Alive visited Arbor Terrace Crabapple to see a session firsthand. Watch the full story on 11Alive
