An evaluative study of the benefits of participating in intergenerational playgroups in aged care for older people

Abstract

BackgroundIntergenerational playgroups in aged care are limited and little is known about the perceptions of individuals who have participated in such programs. Most research is focused on intergenerational programs that involved two generations of people – young people and older people or young people and people with dementia reported the significant outcomes for each group of participants. In this study a number of generations participated in the intergenerational playgroup intervention that included older people, child carers who were parents, grandparents or nannies and children aged 0–4 years old. The objective of this study was to explore the benefits of participating in an intergenerational playgroup program IPP in an aged care facility.MethodsThis mixed methods quantitative and qualitative design explored the benefits of participating in an intergenerational playgroup program IPP in aged care settings. The intervention is an intergenerational playgroup program (IPP) offered in the aged care facility where intergenerational socialisation and interaction occurred between different generations. The SF36 and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were used to collect pre-test post test data. The qualitative interpretive research approach used semi-structured interviews to develop the descriptive interpretation of the intergenerational playgroup experience. Interviews were conducted with aged care residents and child carers.ResultsThe pre-test post-test results for the SF36 revealed a declining trend in one scale only energy/fatigue and no significant differences on the Geriatric Depression Scale GDS. The interview analyses revealed the following themes (1) intergenerational experiences, (2) two-way contributions, (3) friendships work, (4) personal growth, and (5) environmental considerations and nineteen subthemes were extracted to provide meanings.ConclusionsThe IPP provided a successful innovative intergenerational program intervention where older people and people with dementia interacted and connected with a number of people from different generations. The IPP provided meaningful engagement for all participants considered important for self-esteem and the ability to participate fully in society. This allowed people to develop a sense of connectedness and friendships in a safe and secure environment. This increased the dignity of older people and people with dementia within the community and increased public awareness about the existing care and support services available to them.

Successful Elements of Intergenerational Dementia Programs: A Scoping Review

“…A limitation of this study is that not all studies included had the same inclusion and exclusion criteria for the participants. More specifically, some studies only included people with an official dementia diagnosis (Alant et al, 2015;Camp et al, 1997Camp et al, , 2004Chung, 2009;Di Bona et al, 2017;George & Singer, 2011;Giglio, 2006;Guerrero et al, 2017;Jarrott & Bruno, 2003;Lee et al, 2007;Lokon et al, 2012Lokon et al, , 2017Low et al, 2015;Xaverius & Matthews, 2004) while others also included people with cognitive impairment but no official dementia diagnosis (Baker et al, 2017;Gigliotti et al, 2005;Harris & Caporella, 2014, 2018Isaki & Harmon, 2015;Skropeta et al, 2014). Also, the groups of younger participants were diverse, and ranged from babies and toddlers up to college and university students.…”

“…Moreover, it includes relationship building outside of the participant's regular social circles. Eight studies emphasized relationship building as a positive outcome for both the younger and the older generation (Alant et al, 2015;Gigliotti, Morris, Smock, Jarrott, & Graham, 2005;Harris & Caporella, 2014, 2018Isaki & Harmon, 2015;Lokon et al, 2012Lokon et al, , 2017Skropeta, Colvin, & Sladen, 2014).…”

Intergenerational care as a viable intervention strategy for children at risk of delinquency

“…Often elders are placed in mentor roles to help guide children through their academic pursuits (Salari ), involve themselves in play groups (Skropeta et al. ), participate in music therapy (Belgrave ) and share educational activities (Lillard ). Intergenerational programmes have been piloted in the United States (Cook & Bailey ) and in Europe (Sanches ) with considerable success.…”

“…), to the more structured classroom interaction (Larson ; Skropeta et al. ) and general life lessons shared through buddy‐systems (Murphy ). Other models have highlighted the importance of recreational activities, such as gardening and cooking (Murphy ; Gigliotti & Jarrott ), as well as the opportunity to use intergenerational play as a mechanism for covert or informal occupational therapy for the elder generation.…”

“…It builds on the family dynamic by providing mentor roles to help guide children (Salari ; Skropeta et al. ) and often results in the children developing more empathy, social acceptance and self‐regulation. Thus, an IGC programme also supports building a supportive environment that increases children's motivation, self‐efficacy, self‐esteem and persistence, and may enhance their capacity for social adjustment (Dellmann‐Jenkins et al.…”