Rose Ayling: Old Hands, New Tricks

This heartwarming and thought-provoking series follows Rose Ayling-Ellis as she embarks on an incredible experiment teaching a group of retirees British Sign Language. But with students aged from 65 to 95, will she be able to teach these old hands some new tricks?

With an estimated 75% of older people experiencing some form of hearing loss, a number expected to rise to 80% by 2032, Rose thinks that BSL can transform their lives.

Rose takes on this mission impossible with the help of charismatic teacher Marios Costi. She recruits a group of self-described ‘recycled teenagers’ at a retirement village and together they go on a riotous and laugh-out-loud journey complete with bingo trips, Deaf raves and signed karaoke. Can Eric, in his 90s, find new ways to express his love for his wife; for Tina, will it help her communicate after her brain injury? Will 81 year-old Pam be able to show her family what she is truly capable of?

A truly groundbreaking experiment, it poses the question as to why sign language is not available in more retirement settings. Above all, the series showcases the transformative power of communication, connection, and community