Old People’s Home for Teenagers: meet the cast

On Tuesday ABC premieres Old People’s Home for Teenagers, the first global variation on Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds.

With this brand-new format, we see if the power of an intergenerational program could also transform the lives of our most vulnerable young Australians – teenagers.

The 5 part series is produced by Endemol Shine Australia and narrated by Annabel Crabb.

There is a loneliness epidemic in Australian society and it’s affecting older people and teenagers the most. Older citizens are trapped in an ageist society, contributing to their sense of social exclusion and loneliness. Ageism is now considered a human rights issue and the World Health Organisation has found that one of the best ways to eradicate ageism is through intergenerational programs.

Old Peoples Home for Teenagers is the first intergenerational program of its kind. Half the population of older people living at home identify as lonely, but teenagers also suffer loneliness. However, with teenagers, their behaviour can often be perceived as being ‘moody.’ Adolescents represent over a quarter of our population but are our most undervalued generation. Can spending time with the older adults give our teens resilience, confidence and create a rite of passage into adulthood? Will they change their views on the older generation and help to dispel ageism throughout Australia? Will the teenagers bring back a sense of purpose to the lives of the older people and improve their overall mental and physical health?

Philip
Philip is one of the groups most reluctant participants. At 75 years old, he feels like he is busy enough, so will take the experiment day by day. Philip doesn’t seem to have many meaningful connections in his life. He’s never married and therefore has no children or grandchildren. Diagnosed with stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer in 2014, he was given six months to live, that’s now eight years ago. He volunteers at the Cancer Council as part of the “telephone squad” who call people who have just been diagnosed to give them hope. Philip is cautious about participating in the program and isn’t sure what he will get out of it.

Maureen (Mo)
Mo is 89 years old and thinks that teenagers overall are a touch lost and could use discipline and a lot more guidance than they have now. A widow of 10 years, Mo has had four children and as a stay-at-home mother ran the household. At age 56, she got her first job much to her husband’s dismay. She went to the local gift shop and became a shop assistant, a job she loved and thrived in doing customer service. A traditionalist at heart, she is willing to learn from the teenagers but is also keen to share her more traditional views with the more progressive of the group.

Maureen
Maureen is a loveable jokester. At 82 years young she’s the life of the party and the one to always brighten up any room. Known as the ‘mother hen’ of the group, Maureen has two adopted children and one natural born son. Her husband passed away 30 years ago, and she’s missed him every day since. Mobility is an issue for Maureen as she uses a walker. She’s also had two hip replacements and is a bowel cancer survivor. She hopes that the show can increase her mobility and improve her confidence in social settings, especially with teenagers.

Maggy
Maggy is an 81-year-old former actor, magazine editor and artist who is still actively painting and a passionate supporter of the arts. She is a very proud mother and grandmother. Maggy lost her husband suddenly 12 months ago after a fall on a walk. This devastated Maggy and left a huge void in her life. Maggy’s late husband used to watch Old People’s Home for Four-Year-Olds and she decided to do the show to honour his legacy and learn how to live and laugh once again.

Ken
Three weeks after his 50th wedding anniversary, the love of Ken’s life passed away. He misses his wife every single day, claiming loneliness is his weakest link. An ex-sailor, who was raised by his grandparents, 93-year-old Ken is loveable, kind and has the biggest heart in the room. Living on his own, Rocky, his 17 ½ -year-old dog companion is his best friend after losing his wife, 11 years ago. He is looking to make a friend he can guide though life’s tough and good times. Someone he can mentor and give himself a new sense of purpose he is longing for.

John (OAM RFD)
John was born in England and joined the army straight after graduating high school. After serving in Cyprus, he immigrated to Australia following his parents to this wonderful country. He married the love of his life, Irene, more than 64 years ago, but now lives separately from her as she requires full time care. He never misses a day visiting her at her nursing home. John has a daughter and two grandchildren, and he tragically lost their only son in a car accident. In 2019, he was awarded an Order of Australia for his service to the RSL and Army where he worked for more than 32 years. John is a meticulous and disciplined man who will show the teenagers the importance of being on time and on schedule!

Cecilia
Cecilia is the youngest of participants, not in age (she is 74) but in spirit. As an immigrant who completed Year 10 at school, she was a long-term hotel admin worker who loved her job and was the hardest worker in the room. After her husband died, three years ago of dementia, Cecilia finds it difficult to fill her day. She does however, go for long walks every day, even though she has many aches and pains, she wants to ensure she keeps active – physically and mentally. Cecilia is a bright, happy, and big-hearted lady, who is doing the show to find companionship and long-lasting friendship.

Bob
Bob is an 84-year-old ‘musical hippy’, who describes his love of music as an ‘escape from reality’. Learning his passion for music from his grandmother, his aim was to be a full-time rock musician, but that didn’t eventuate. He joined the air force at age 18 and then moved on to computers and worked for IBM for most of his life. He hosts elderly computer lessons, which keeps his mind young, as do his four grandchildren. He’s doing the show as he’s got a young spirit that matches well with younger people rather than older people and knows they can teach him a thing or two!

Aranka
Aranka is the oldest of the participants. A 93-year-old widow, Aranka escaped on foot with her husband and six-year-old son from her birthplace of Hungary, as Russia invaded the country in 1956. Running through the woods whilst being shot at, they had no plan as to where they would end up or no idea what would happen next. Ultimately, they fled to Italy and from there, migrated to Australia in 1957. Knowing no English and having no money, Aranka worked as a nurse’s aide and then in her husband’s mechanic business. Once her husband died, she went back to nursing, retiring at the age of 75. Her only son, who passed from pancreatic cancer in 2016, didn’t have any children of his own, so Aranka has never been a ‘grandmother’ – she hopes to receive the privilege of being called ‘grandma’ by one of the teenagers and will relish in the opportunity to be a lifelong friend to at least one! At 4 foot 9, she’s the group’s pocket rocket and one of the more mobile in the group.

Jim
Born in Ireland, Jim and his family moved to Australia in 1976 and was a very successful computer technician, with a strong interest in computers. Retiring at age 61, it was a blessing and a curse. A downward spiral of identity and depression occurred, and after seeing a psychiatrist he found out that he was suffering from grief; his sense of professional loss was hard to handle as he had lost his colleagues, a routine, his way of life and now had nothing to do. Having moved in with his daughter and their family, he focused on looking after his wife who had an accident a few years ago requiting constant care. His grandchild is vegan and so he moved into being a part-time vegan and enjoyed nothing more than watching them cook and experiment with food and flavours.

Ziggy
Ziggy is an empathetic 15-year-old who is a great communicator with a warm and open personality. He is insightful into what teenagers go through these days and already can see the effects of social media, not only on himself but on his peers – he sees that teenagers are often dismissed easily with issues that are important to them but not seen as real to some adults. Ziggy is looking for a role model and is seeking a connection with someone older, who is not his family or a teacher at school.

Miles
Miles is an avid gamer who dreams of being a professional gamer one day! His plan B is a career as a vet because of his love of animals. He is a self-confessed procrastinator, often known to say, ‘just one more game’ and ten hours have passed. He occasionally likes school with his favourite subjects being maths, science, and mythology. Miles doesn’t really know what he could teach the older generation, but knows he is an excellent listener. He hopes they will pass on some wisdom about how to be more motivated in his day-to-day life, something he has a difficult time with

Louis
Louis is a 14-year-old thoughtful and articulate young man who wants to not only make friends with his peers but the older generation. His father passed away in 2019 from cancer and he hopes to find guidance from an older participant as he misses having a father figure in his life. He hopes to find a connection that will let him benefit from having someone who understands what it means to be a young man and can help guide him in the right direction.

Lily
Lily’s parents moved to Australia when she was seven, while she remained in China with her grandparents for two years. When Lily moved to Australia at age nine, she knew absolutely no English. Given she was raised by her grandparents for two years, Lily has a great respect and admiration for the older generation. As an only child, she feels pressure of getting it right to ensure her parents are proud. She is extremely insightful and thought provoking about life. Lily spends most of her days playing music, watching anime and YouTube documentaries and being online. She hopes she can form real human connections in the program and be more social.

Kay
16-year-old Kay moved from South Africa with her adopted mother six years ago. Her mum married Brian and with that, Kay’s family grew to include a father, two brothers, a grandmother and grandfather. Kay is shy and steers away from the limelight. Having moved to a different part of Sydney, Kay doesn’t get to see her grandmother as much, so she’s missing that mentorship. She would love to find an older someone to share ideas on how to persist throughout difficult situations of life…and help give her some more confidence in life.

Fred
15-year-old Fred often struggles to connect with similar aged students on a social level. He is often misunderstood and has found greater acceptance with younger and older generations. Having been diagnosed with Asperger’s and ADHD, Fred would like to shine a light on the fact that children who are on the spectrum are just gifted in different ways. He is keen to learn better social skills to realise his dreams but also hopes that greater awareness and focus on people’s individuality is not only respected but welcomed.

Isadora (Dora)
15-year-old Isadora says she really doesn’t have a ‘place’ at school and that’s where she feels most alone. Struggling to read people’s emotions and hold down friendships, she. says she doesn’t really have many friends at high school and that brings her social anxiety to the foreground. An upbeat and energetic young woman, Dora has an amazing ability (unbeknownst to her) to bring people together. Dora is a keen creative who loves nothing more than drawing, painting, and making art. She will give anything a go and most of all she’s unbelievably kind – to all. Dora is hoping to find someone who understands her, and that she can relate to.

Charlie
Charlie’s nature is charismatic and engaging however there is a warmth to Charlie that comes out when he takes a moment to slow down! He is full of life and has a great sense. of himself and style. As a 14-year-old he likes school much more now that he can choose his subjects. Although he is confident, he still is affected by a lot of issues teenagers face today, such as body issues and acceptance. He wants to learn to socialise more with people his own age and develop ways to meet friends outside of school. He hopes to find an older participant who is not attached to his family that he can open up to – but first he needs to feel safe and confident enough to do that.

Caity
Caity has a tight knit group of friends at school who all met in Year 7 and have been best friends since. As a 15-year-old in today’s society, Caity feels the common pressures of being a teenager – the stress of schoolwork overload, lack of confidence and determining a sense of self. She’s passionate about politics, the environment, and women’s rights and hopes to discover her voice to be able to campaign and make a difference to not only her life but many likeminded people around her as well

Anna
Anna is musically gifted, artistic, and kind 14-year-old. Anna doesn’t really like school as she is frequently left out of social situations and often finds herself sitting alone. She takes refuge in being an absolute animal lover. She has Guinea pigs of her own (Ginger, Patch and Sookie) sadly Patch has passed away since filming. Anna loves spending time with Monti her Miniature Schnauzer and rescue dogs Zanzibar and Schultz. Over the next six weeks, Anna is hoping to find friendship and a sense of belonging.

Fiona Goode
Teacher / Facilitator
Fiona has been a qualified teacher for 22 years and has two children of her own. Initially from Melbourne, she now resides on the Northern Beachers in Sydney. Having completed a diploma in Children’s Services and a Bachelor of Teaching, she has always seen becoming a teacher as a natural progression in her life. She loves knowing that she can make a positive difference in the lives of the younger generation, through education. Fiona comes to Old People’s Home for Teenagers having been the onscreen teacher in both Season 1 and 2 of Old People’s Home for 4 Year Old’s, where her daughter was part of Season 1 and was still in contact with her ninety-six-year-old best friend Bevan, up until this year (2022), when he sadly passed. Fiona hopes that the future of intergenerational learning sees a continual growth and expansion and believes that there is still so much benefit to be gained from these programs in the wider community. She loves the pure simplicity of bringing two generations together and maintains that the future is bright, when seeing the two generations come together and thrive.

Ali Faraj
Adolescent Expert
Ali is one of Australia’s most respected young Muslim leaders. As Head of Community with AFL club the Greater Western Sydney Giants, Ali plays a central role in uniting one of the most diverse regions in the world, Western Sydney. Ali has devoted his life towards improving the opportunities afforded to both Muslim and non-Muslim youths alike. He has spent the past decade engaging schools and teenagers in Western Sydney through a range of community outreach programs focused on social cohesion, education, employment, and leadership development. Ali was an academic tutor at Western Sydney University guiding and mentoring future teachers and was named ‘Case Worker of the Year’ by the Migration Council Australia in 2015. Ali, who was born and raised in a Lebanese family in Western Sydney, is a devoted husband and father of four. He is a qualified teacher and has been engaged by various Government and community working groups to help with social cohesion among young people right across NSW.

8:30pm Tuesday on ABC.