Bingo Instead of the Office: Face-to-Face Encounters
In the computer age, encounters with people in a completely different stage of life are becoming increasingly rare and, as a result, a valuable experience. For this reason, Implenia’s Social Day takes business trainees to visit the Ruttiger retirement home in Olten for one day each year. In 2026, the event took place for the tenth time.
"There are always heartwarming encounters."
This sometimes leads to touching encounters: A resident speaks very personally about his own experiences in the middle of a presentation by the trainees; a trainee sets out with a resident suffering from dementia to her favorite spot, but never reaches their destination because the resident can no longer remember the way... “It is precisely because of experiences like these that the social day creates added value — especially on an interpersonal level — that should not be underestimated,” explains the vocational trainer.
Social Day is also something the residents of the retirement home look forward to, she continues: “The residents now know exactly when the students will visit the retirement home. At first, they had to be called out of their rooms for the event; for the past few years, they’ve been waiting in the common room, full of anticipation. This, too, shows just how important Social Day is for the seniors as well.”
At first, students often have to push themselves a bit to strike up conversations in a new environment — an important exercise for everyday life at school and work: “Social skills are more important than ever in our modern world,” Andrea Wyss is convinced. “These days, so much happens digitally that face-to-face interaction with people often takes a back seat. Good social skills help us communicate clearly, empathetically, and respectfully. For the students, visiting here at the nursing home offers a valuable opportunity to approach seniors and strike up a conversation.”
