Throwback Photos of Care Home Residents in Their Youth vs. Now Melt Hearts

The internet has been left in tears after watching a video of seniors that has recently gone viral on TikTok.

The heartwarming clip shows a photo of seven women and one man in their prime followed by a video of them today. It's been a hit online and racked up over 457,000 views since it was shared by Arcare Seven Hills (@arcareagedcare) a state-of-the-art new aged care facility in Australia where the seniors live.

Newsweek spoke to the home's visual producer James Aitken about the clip that has pulled on the internet's heartstrings.

"We believe and know everyone has a story to tell—especially those who are privileged to live a long life. We want to showcase that no matter your age, you still take care and pride in your appearance, belongings and lifestyle," Aitken told Newsweek.

The clip begins with a sepia photo of Vince, a former chef, on his wedding day, followed by a recent video of the cheerful man waving at the camera. Next is a black and white photo of Elaine wearing her flight attendant uniform and a video of her today.

One TikTok user complimented: "Elaine still has the twinkle in her beautiful eyes."

Photos of Pat, Margot, Diane, Joan, and June are also included in the video, followed by current videos of the residents, who all seem to be in good health and spirits.

Aitken told Newsweek that the residents were "surprised" that the video had gone viral and they think it's a great way to show their grandkids what they are doing.

The majority of TikTok users, according to Statista, are adults between the ages of 18 and 34, so the residents who are all over 65 are not typically among the platform's target demographic. But viewers are obsessed with the video, to the point where they've even asked Brisbane, Australia's assisted living facility to post more of these kinds of clips.

At the time of writing, the video has amassed 33,000 likes and 340 comments.

One user asked: "Am I the only one who feels sad seeing them so young and full of life which isn't there anymore and only exists in pictures and memories?"

"Loved this, a reminder that all the elderly that we see around also had young lives," commented another user.

"This makes me so emotional. This will be all of us one day," said a third comment.

A fourth comment said: "This makes my heart melt. Aging is such a privilege."

Update 2/09/24, 2:35 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to amend the spokesperson's name.

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