Thank you for the above contributions to this thread, all of which are heart warming.
I can't think of a better way to keep the elderly (I'm one of them) engaged and happy than for them to have a model railroad to dream about and tinker with.
A model railroad could also be a great promotion for the nursing home or retirement community, distinguishing their facility from all of the others. And once the model railroad is up and running, they should invite a lot of little kids to see it. Doing so would make those in the nursing home even more excited. The elderly love to be around little kids at play. Such a positive environment becomes a form of paradise on earth. Arnold