Feel good television: Old People's Home For 4 Year Olds.
I’ve always had a soft spot for heartfelt, feel-good shows, the kind that remind you what really matters. Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds (available on ABC iView and Apple TV) is one of them. And maybe it’s because it reminds me so much of my own grandmother, Noelle. Or as we called her, Noey.
Noey was unwell for a long time and lived in a nursing home. Every Saturday, I’d bring her a latte and a baked good, sometimes a croissant, sometimes a muffin, always with a side of chat. We’d talk about life, family, whatever was on her mind. She never had a filter, which made for some of the most hilarious and honest conversations of my life.
Once, we were sitting in the communal lounge with some of the other residents when she introduced me to her friend: “This is my friend Joan. She’s away with the dicky birds, but she’s my friend and I love her.” They both smiled. That moment, unfiltered, deeply human, and quietly full of love, it has never left me.
We were close. I even lived with her during my uni days. And those memories, the weekly Saturday visits, the brutal honesty, the belly laughs, are some of the ones I treasure most.
Noey passed away during the early, uncertain days of COVID. I was in another state and wasn’t allowed to return. I didn’t get to say goodbye. I didn’t get to go to her funeral. There’s a part of my heart that still aches with that.
But when I watch something like Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, I remember what she gave me and what I hope I gave her. Connection. Comfort. A friendship that transcended age. It didn’t matter that I was in my twenties and she was in her eighties. We saw each other.
And maybe that’s why this show hits so hard. Because it reminds us that ageing isn’t just about decline, it’s about dignity. About being included, seen, and laughed with. About having someone bring you a latte on a Saturday morning, just because they love you.
It also reminds us of something else:
The joy a young child can bring to an elderly person is immeasurable.
Their curiosity, their chaos, their cuddles, it’s like a burst of life energy in a room that’s forgotten how to breathe deeply. Kids don’t tiptoe around grief or fragility. They just show up, loudly, lovingly, fully themselves. And in doing so, they remind older people that they’re still part of the world. Still needed. Still loved.
Noey would’ve loved that kind of chaos. I wish so deeply she had met my children. That would’ve been everything.
Photo credit: Old People's Home For 4 Year Olds
A reminder: Health isn’t just biological
At Mode, we talk a lot about whole-person health. And this show? It’s the perfect illustration. Because no supplement or fitness tracker can replace what happens when you feel needed. Seen. Lit up by joy.
It reminds us that:
Connection is a form of medicine
Purpose doesn’t retire
Play is healing at every age
And sometimes, the best therapy is a 4-year-old handing you a plastic cup of imaginary tea
So what can we learn from it?
You don’t need a TV show or a formal program to bring more intergenerational connection into your life. Visit your grandparents. Let your kids spend time with your neighbours. Ask someone older than you how they’re really doing. Invite wisdom into the everyday.
Because good health isn’t just about what you do, it’s about who you do life with.
Mode Moment: Both of my kids were curled up next to their grandad (my dad), flipping through an Australian wildlife book. One pointing at the Brolga, the other asking if we can get a pet koala one day. Their grandad answered every question, patiently, with that quiet kind of joy only grandparents seem to know. They weren’t doing anything big. Just reading. Just connecting.
And yet, it felt like everything. This is health. Not just the physical kind, but the kind stitched together in shared wonder, slow time, and love that doesn’t need words.
Thanks for reading!
Laura,
Mode Community and Brand Manager