The main tank, brimful with ideas. Enjoy them, discuss them, take them. - Of course, this is also the #1 place for new submissions!
By mabaker
#1541
There is a huge number of abandoned, bereaved, or simply lonely old people in Britain. There is a similar number of abandoned and bereaved children with no one to care about what happens to them. Could these two groups not be brought together? Perhaps in the same home? It seems to be a compassionate solution for many, with the added advantage of the possibility of some shared facilities and shared care.

Reward: if one shared home could happen and be successful...
By ftfmayo
#1651
Interestingly there seems to be some scientific research to support your idea. I recently saw a telivision program discussing the reasons that men are able to reproduce pretty much until they die and women lose the ability with the onset of menopause. The theory from an evolutionary standpoint, was that the grandmother was crucial in raising chlildren. When producing the most possible offspring was crucial to the groups survival, near constant pregnancy made it hard for the young mother to care for her children so the grandmother, who was no longer fertile cared for the young. According to the theory this also accounts for womens longer lifespan, because they were still useful to the species after they were no longer physically able hunt, gather, or what have you.
More than likely they were better equiped to teach the young the skills needed to be productive as adults, having had more time to learn from past experience.

Perhaps, with all the problems we face in todays society, your idea has farther reaching benefits than you origainally intended.
By zyx Rationalist
#1704
The most amazing idea ever. Somebody please go ahead with it. Please publish the results of it world wide (may be on web).
By harry8balls
#1710
> The most amazing idea ever. Somebody please go ahead with it. Please publish the results of it world wide (may be on web).

Thank you for being clear. Too much support is ambivilant. Achieving results with more difficulty.

I like the idea too.
By just me
#4312
I think this is a well-intended idea, and I am in NO way trying to slam it, but a few things need to be considered.

Many of the aging who would fall into this category are no longer physically and/or mentally capable enough to raise a child, nor may they have the 18+ years left in their life to commit to such a venture.

Also, many of the orphaned/abandoned children are not what you might call "easy" to raise, as they may have social/developmental challenges which make their care a much more complex issue.

Now, please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying "all old people are useless" or "all parentless children are difficult to raise" but am simply expressing some of the factors which already apply to these two demographic groups (take the screening of foster/adoptive parents for instance, this system realizes the additional challenges of raising such children) and which may hinder their pairing as suggested here.

Now, if there are indeed seniors out there who are still in prime physical/mental health who have many years left ahead of them and are both capable and willing to raise a parentless child, then great, but I just don't see it working as flawlessly as you've proposed.

Possibly a good modification of this idea might be to expand on the practises already in place by some long-term care homes for the elderly, such as having orphaned/abandoned children visit senior; to the benefit of both parties.
By Rishi
#4583
One has to agree with 'JUSTME'. Things do not always work out as we intend. Old people in care homes themselves are in need of care. A young, active orphan will be quite a handful even for a youngish granny.

If we reverse it out like getting the orphan kids to help out in the care homes, say, for free boarding (and lodging if available) we may get adouble benefit as suggested by 'JUSTME'.
By NumboJumbo
#13588
A good idea with laudable intentions. I believe for this idea to work, some type of filter system would have to work whereby the older people who are fitter are matched up with youngsters who are not bad apples. Of course, this is discrimantory towards those people who are not so fit and still in need of company and also those youngsters who are just not so good but who are in need of some interaction with presumably 'wiser and more experienced in life' type of people. I haven't got the answer to this last problem, but I believe my original suggestion would be workable.
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