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The nation’s population of older Americans is increasing dramatically. Much of this is due to the “baby boom” generation that is soon to be entering into the elderly years. In fact, according to an article in Generations written by Elizabeth Larkin, “By 2030, about twenty percent of the nation’s population will be over the age of sixty-five” (Larkin 2). Contrary to the stereotype that countless Americans hold on aging, many baby-boomers are healthy and lead active lifestyles. Elizabeth Larkin states, “[m] ost of these adults are active and eager to remain vital members of their communities” (Larkin 2). Dale Layfield, author of “Intergenerational service learning: Bridging the gap between the two golden ages,” found statistical information from the Census Bureau, “the elderly population will more than double between now and the year 2050 to eighty million.” He goes on to say, “By that year [2050] as many as one in five Americans could be elderly.”
At the same time that seniors continue to be the fastest growing portion of our population, other changes in family structure and stability are occurring. This fact coupled with increasing rates of child poverty, teen pregnancy, and juvenile crimes have placed many of our nation’s children and families at risk (Bovin 1). It is becoming well known that many mothers today are now employed outside the home, and there is also an increase in single-parent families. In 1997, “…seventy-five percent of all unmarried mothers were working” (Larkin1). It is no wonder than that rising numbers of children are spending more time in childcare and after-school programs. Larkin states, “…thirteen million of our nation’s children are placed in early care and education centers or family childcare settings before they reach school age” (Larkin 1).
It is evident by now that two important issues challenging society today are the rising number of the elderly and the increasing need for optimal childcare. “Responding to these demographic trends poises major intergenerational challenges and opportunities for our government as we struggle to meet the needs of the young and old with increasingly limited public resources” (Bovin 1). Thankfully, there is an obvious answer to this generational dilemma. If it takes a village to raise a child, that village should be composed of many generations. Intergenerational programs are attempting to do just that by increasing the interactions between our nation’s young and our nation’s old. One may ask, what are intergenerational programs? Many people could decipher the terms and come up with an answer fairly close to its meaning. Intergenerational simply means between generations, and intergenerational programs therefore are various methods in which to bring the young and the old together in a mutually beneficial relationship.
It used to be that families were naturally connected. It was common for extended family to live together in the same home or at least in the same city. This close proximity, “…allowed children to gain economic, educational and cultural independence through an exchange of family, religious, and cultural traditions” (Layfield 1). With the busy, fast-paced lifestyle that millions of Americans are now accustomed to comes increasing segregation of age groups. It is commonly accepted that children go to schools or community centers while seniors go to senior centers, nursing homes, etc. Intergenerational is not a new concept, but is receiving more media attention recently as people are beginning to realize the need to decrease the isolation of our society’s generations. Until this is realized, “[s]ocial cohesion, the sense of human roots spanning generations and communities, is fractured” (Burlingame 1). Achieving Goals of Intergenerational Programs
Intergenerational programs are services that combine care for young children and older people in the same care facility (Public relations). A common goal shared by many intergenerational programs is “…to develop bonds and relationships between the two generations.” “For the older person, it might be an opportunity to reminisce or to feel like a contributing member of society. For the child, it might be a reason to think beyond his or her small world” (Lewis 1). In an article appropriately titled, Opposites Attract, printed in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin an experiment was done at Kapolei where “…twenty-five seniors and two-hundred and twenty kids mix it up daily” (Burlingame 3). The executive director, Chuck Larson stated, “[w] e knew it would benefit the seniors. What was surprising was the effect that it has on the kids. They’re much better behaved, even those who used to do inappropriate things. They treat the seniors with respect” (Burlingame 3). Another heart-felt example is a four year old girl who upon being a member of the Kapolei was noted to “not [be] scared by older folks, and she interacts with adults more easily. She will actually have conversations with grown-ups. And wheelchairs and walkers don’t faze her” (Burlingame 3).Appropriate Activities
In order for an intergenerational program to be successful for elderly clients and younger clients “…activities need to be developmentally appropriate for the children and cognitively appropriate for the adults’…” Preschool group activities involving arts and crafts, playing, and story time are examples of appropriate intergenerational activities. Since at this age children do not get upset if someone does not remember their name nor has a disability, people with dementia can have a great time playing with this age group. At the elementary school age relationships are formed when children work one-on-one with elderly participants. This age group also works well with dementia patients since dementia patient’s long-term memory is still intact and they are able to enjoy reminiscing about their past. Middle school interactions are more intellectual, for example an oral history project in which students interview the seniors. Teenagers can become “friendly visitors” and meet independently with seniors. Teenagers and the elderly alike enjoy conversation about current affairs and life events. (Lewis 4) In general, activities that have been proven successful for both clients consist of music, arts and crafts, reading, and oral history (Lewis 1). Older adults feel the need to nurture, teach, communicate positive values, and leave a legacy. On the other hand, children feel the need to be nurtured, taught, have positive role models, and be connected to the preceding generations. The needs of both generations are reciprocal and can be satisfied by these types of activities (Hatton-Yea 58).How Intergenerational Programs workThe set-up of intergenerational daycares can differ. In some, older adults serve the young. They work with younger children in day childcare, preschool, or head start. Other services could consist of helping immigrant children learn English, mentors to children with special needs, helping college or high school student prepare for the workplace, and helping families with children who are psychologically or emotional at-risk (Hatton-Yea, 59).
Other forms could consist of youth serving the elderly. Children may come and visit institutionalized older adults and share activities such as music and crafts. Children may also serve older adults as friendly visitors, tutors, and companions. These actions make older adults regain the feeling of self worth as well as being needed (Hatton-Yea 59).Successful Intergenerational Programs
Already hundreds of intergenerational programs are in use across the nation. Not all of these programs, however, provide the intended desirable outcomes. One program that has been successful and effective is the Foster Grandparents program. The Foster Grandparents program or FGP, “…provide[s] older Americans the opportunity to put their life experiences to work for local communities” (Senior Corp 1). It allows seniors to interact with children and youth while providing valuable services such as mentoring, tutoring, and care giving. The types of children receiving the service are those in abusive or neglected situations, troubled teenagers, young mothers, premature infants, and children with physical disabilities.
In order for an elder person to participate in the Foster Grandparents program, they must meet certain criteria. This screening is done to ensure the safety of the children. Background checks and telephone interviews are done to eliminate any possible risks, such as abuse or other harm to the children. Training is provided prior to and during care, to make sure the older person benefits their needy child effectively as possible. The children get the opportunity to spend time in a loving relationship. It helps them to realize there are adults who care, and provides children with a positive role model. The older adult receives the benefits of feeling needed and useful to society again and is often able to maintain a loving relationship with their “Foster Grandchild.” In addition, “Foster Grandparents receive $2.65 an hour (tax free), reimbursement for transportation, meals during service, annual physical examinations, and accident and liability insurance while on duty” (Senior Corp 1,2). . This program is an example of an intergenerational program in while both the elderly adults and the child benefit.
Another example of a rewarding Intergenerational program is that provided by Intergenerational Innovations. This non-profit organization, “…develop[s] and implement[s] creative programs and activities that connect children, youth, and elders in volunteer service to each other and to [the] community” (Intergenerational 1). Intergenerational Innovations incorporates programs and services that allow elders to help children, children to help the elders, and also allows their combined efforts to benefit the community, as well as to change to overall views each generation has about one another.
Programs that are included in Intergenerational programs consist of Kinder Korps and Computer Pals. Kinder Korps is a program that places elders in a position to tutor and mentor children. Computer Pals is a program that allows middle school and high school students to teach the elderly about the use of computers. “Once computer-savvy, the seniors engage in an interactive email relationship and occasional social gatherings with younger children” (Intergenerational 1). Other programs include Caring Community (youth and seniors engage in community services), Intergenerational Impact Training (uses experiential and inquiry-based instruction to break down stereotypes) and The Intergenerational Resource Center (provides curriculum and guidance in the establishment of intergenerational programs).Elderly Benefits
The most common psychiatric disorder in the elderly is depression. According to our text, ten to fifteen percent of noninstitutionalized people age sixty-five and older and as many as fifty to seventy-five percent of long-term care residents suffer from mild to moderate depression. Depression in the elderly has been shown to shorten life expectancy and increase the likely hood of suicide and suicidal tendencies (Stanley, 274-275).
The traditional treatment of depression in the elderly (antidepressants) could be changed to the use of primary preventative measures such as intergenerational programs. From a financial view, this could potentially reduce cost of expensive pharmaceuticals. Intergenerational programs “…reduce isolation, boost self-esteem, and reinforce that they are needed by the community, stimulate mental capacity, promote life-long learning, reconnect them with their community, introduce them to new experiences with children from different back grounds, and rekindle the joy of living” (Intergenerational 1). It is not uncommon for residents of nursing homes to have relatively few visitors on a regular basis. It is no surprise than that one benefit of intergenerational programs is that it provides visitors to those who may not otherwise have any. Furthermore, these programs provide older adults with the opportunity to touch, listen, laugh, and to learn about children in today’s society. Children’s benefit
From a social and medical viewpoint, the use of intergenerational programs is beneficial for older Americans. These programs are, however, perhaps equally beneficial to children. As noted earlier a large portion of today’s youth is enrolled in a childcare setting. In fact, “…80 percent of children spend up to fifty hours per week in poor or mediocre childcare settings. In addition, thirty-five to forty percent of the settings … are so poor that they can actually jeopardize children’s health and safety” (Larkin 33). Intergenerational programs provide an environment for optimal child growth. Programs that are striving to bring back social cohesion believe that a possible benefit is the acceleration of life skills. This can be done “…through their interaction with older adults who are skillful helpers in dealing with personal, social, intellectual and occupational knowledge (Hatton-Yeo 14). In essence these programs are putting the sense of family back into America. Intergenerational programs improve understanding of elders, improve self-esteem, encourage activity participation, develop social skills, and develop a positive attitude towards the process of aging (Intergenerational 1). They also “…help children improve their school performance, boost self-esteem, connect with their community, engage with positive role models, and learn new cultural and historical perspectives” (Intergenerational 1).
Out of all the information and studies presented, information concerning the long-term effects related to intergenerational programs was missing. More research should be conducted to determine the possible long-term health risks or benefits to the children. Other information that was scarce among the sources was short-term risks to the elderly and the children. Without this information, proper analysis of the risks and benefits is unobtainable.
. A decrease in depression among the elderly without the use of medications is only the start of the numerous benefits of these programs. It is only reasonable that with this decrease in depression also comes the decrease of suicide and suicide attempts. In addition, increases in activity and active learning have also been seen for the young and old alike. The use of intergenerational programs helps to “straighten out” corrupted youth by putting them in a positive learning environment. Children are taught at a young age to respect their elders, and for this reason many children, adolescents, and even teenagers are likely to listen to the advice of the elderly even more so then from their parents. Intergenerational programs also decrease the “gap” between the two generations allowing them to understand each other better. Since there is a decrease in the segregation of the generations, there is an accompany decrease in the old fearing the young and the young not understanding the old.
Most of the articles agreed that intergenerational programs are beneficial and improve the overall quality of life of elder patients as well as of children. One article was contradictory and stated a potential negative impact of these programs. Research from The University of Utah Department of Family and Consumer Studies Assistant Professor Sonia Salari suggests that this type of care causes infantilization of elderly clients. This claim is evident by observations from Salari and her research team. “Elderly persons were addressed in language usually reserved for very young children, including reprimands such as ‘BEHAVE!’ and ‘Do you need to go to time out?’ Privacy violations include announcements such as ‘We are going to the potty.’” Clients interviewed felt that they had no options in activities and that they disliked being treated like children (Public relations). This finding, however was specific to this particular research study, and by no means indicates factuality of all intergenerational programs. The research article did not give information pertaining to the education of those running this facility, so there is no evidence suggesting that educated professionals were providing this disrespectful care.
Upon researching the benefits of intergenerational programs and disputing the fears related to negative consequences of such programs, it is easy to conclude that intergenerational programs are a concrete solution to a large societal dilemma. Knowing this, society needs to continue working together in order to increase research, public knowledge, and funding for Intergenerational Programs. Since the government is concerned with financial matters, those who are knowledgeable about the financial benefits of these programs need to be advocates for the larger society. One way to increase funding for these programs is to increase the number and quality of solid theories, as well as of data research and applied research.
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