Children's day care is integrated with care of the elderly. Grandmas and Grandpas sit and listen to story hour with the little ones on laps or tile floor around their wheelchair. They color together, blow bubbles in the sunshine, have snowball fights in the winter and knowledge of the elderly and the infirmities that come with age broaden the child's mind and gentle characters form, Animals wander the halls. Cats nap on beds with an elderly, owner's hand stroking the fur and sensing companionship. Birds sing to their owners and the resident has something to care for again.
Gardens grow and humans are alive.
If we visited a delivery room in a labor ward during the 1950's, we would have been met with a sterile room, hard surgical table, glaring lights, people in white uniforms with masks, rules on how a woman must position herself for the birth, who could be present in the room. Today's birthing centers are vastly different. Warm rooms with chairs, toys for siblings to play with and occasionally a hot tub. Woman can be in what ever position is most comfortable to deliver, with family clustered around and even videotaping the birth. As different as night and day.