Cooking clubs reduce loneliness and build community in Danish care homes, study finds

A two-year research project by Copenhagen Professionshøjskole and the Municipality of Copenhagen has found that resident-led cooking clubs significantly reduce loneliness among elderly care home residents, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

More than half of the participants reported feeling less isolated after joining the clubs, which encourage residents to cook and eat together. The initiative also boosted their confidence in trying new activities and engaging with others.

At Rosenborgcentret, a care home in central Copenhagen, monthly cooking sessions over the past two years have helped residents like Poul Hartung form smaller social circles within the larger community of 84. “You build a little community,” Hartung said. “When you bump into people in the gym or elsewhere, it means something to recognise them. It creates a real sense of security.”

Ditte Holst Nielsen, an activities coordinator at Rosenborgcentret, noted that smaller groups help newcomers adjust. “When you move into a care home, getting to know others is easier in these settings,” she said. “It also helps residents rediscover who they are within a large community.”

Researcher Lise Justesen, a lecturer at Copenhagen Professionshøjskole, emphasised the importance of resident autonomy. “What struck us most was how much it mattered that the residents themselves took the lead,” she said. “When they make their own decisions, they feel less lonely and gain confidence—but staff must be prepared to step back and support their initiatives.”

The project has produced a handbook, Vores Madklub (Our Cooking Club), to guide other care homes in launching similar resident-driven programs. Between 2021 and 2026, 63 such clubs operated across Copenhagen’s municipal care homes, forming the basis of the study.