Tenerife Nursing Home Campaign Challenges Elderly Stereotypes with Viral Life Stories
A viral social media campaign by Tenerife’s Virgen de Candelaria nursing home is challenging ageist stereotypes by highlighting the diverse life stories and professional backgrounds of its residents.
A recent video campaign from the Virgen de Candelaria nursing home in Tenerife has changed how we see senior citizens online. The project, launched by the Gerón Foundation, has been a massive success on Instagram and Facebook, racking up over 180,000 views by sharing the stories of residents beyond their life in care.
The campaign aims to break the stigma that often defines elderly people solely by their residency. By highlighting the residents' past careers—ranging from teaching and farming to hospitality and retail—the nursing home emphasizes that a person’s life story is a vital part of their care. This approach reflects the growing "person-centered care" model in gerontology, which focuses on integrating an individual's identity into their daily support. This method is increasingly encouraged by Spanish care standards to help prevent the isolation and depersonalization often found in residential settings.
Beyond the impressive social media numbers, the true value of this project is how it restores dignity to those who are often overlooked by the welfare system. By showcasing the faces and histories of these residents, the Gerón Foundation is not only humanizing the care environment but also reminding society of the debt of gratitude we owe to the generations who built our country’s foundation.