Grandparents make a difference in their grandchildren’s lives:
Today there are more than 80 million grandparents in America, more than one third of the adult population.
When grandparents are present and involved in the lives of their grandchildren, it makes a big difference in the lives of both the grandparents and the grandchildren. There have been some interesting studies done on grandparenting. Surveys find that more than half of all American grandparents see their grandchildren in person at least once a week. A study done at Boston College found that an emotionally close relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is related to fewer symptoms of depression for both groups. According to another study, 72% of grandparents think “being a grandparent is the single most important and satisfying thing in their life.” 
Because life expectancy has increased over the years, more children have grandparents now. For example, in 1900, less than half of all teenagers had two or more living grandparents. In 1976, that number had grown to 90%.
Research on the subject shows that 9 out of 10 adult grandchildren believe that their grandparents had an influence on their values and behaviors. A recent AARP survey tells us that grandparents feel comfortable giving advice to grandchildren, and 78% of grandparents report they have discussed values with their grandchildren.
At Harmony Senior Homes, and at many residential and care homes across the country, there live many grandparents who treasure their relationships with their grandchildren. Preserving and supporting those precious relationships is a priority for us at Harmony Senior Homes.