Social Situations
Developing Intergenerational Learning Programs in Australia: A Report on an Active Aging Program Bringing Together Young and Old
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Xanthe Golenko, Janna Anneke Fitzgerald, Katrina radford Radford, Jennifer Cartmel, Nerina Vecchio, Neil Harris
In response to predicted social and economic impact of the aging population and growing disconnect between generations, the World Health Organisation is advocating a global healthy aging agenda. Intergenerational programs directly address many of the key areas including social participation, respect and social inclusion, and life-long learning; by bringing people together in purposeful, beneficial activities that build on the positive resources that different generations have to offer each other and those around them. This paper presents research on a project that developed, implemented, and evaluated an intergenerational learning program (ILP) for pre-school aged children and elders attending care services across four research sites in Qld and NSW, Australia. The research examined two models of care (co-location and visitation), and focused on four key areas: 1) development of an evidence-based ILP; 2) impact on elders and children; 3) workforce; and 4) socio-economic implications. Preliminary findings indicate that ILPs can enhance engagement which has a positive impact on the sense of well-being among the elderly, and improve confidence and communication skills in children. Findings also indicate a positive impact on participating organisations by broadening their perspectives on new types of services which benefit their clients. The aged care and childcare workforce were generally hesitant coming in to the program, however upon completion, felt more positive and that an intergenerational practice qualification with appropriate training should be pursued. Early indications of the economic evaluation suggest minimal financial impact on organisations and opportunities for cost savings through shared and more efficient use of resources.
Engaging Older Students in Learning to Design an Age Friendly Living Environment
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Yan Chi Jackie Kwok, Edmun Cheng
This paper presents the learning process of thirty-three mature students (aged 45 to 76) enrolled in a subject 'Ideal Living Environment for the Ageing Society: From Theories to Design' offered by SPEED Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The World Health Organisation (2002) indicates education and learning are important factors to allow older adults to enjoy a life with quality. Nowadays older people are agents of change, innovation and democracy, their role as city dwellers should never be neglected. Although Hong Kong older people are encouraged to participate in community programmes promoting the idea of ‘age friendly city’, they are seldom consulted regarding the design of the city space. In many participatory projects involving elders, they are considered as ‘end-users’, guided by experts to voice their views. In June and July 2019, we will teach the subject mentioned. Our aim is not to involve the students to be passive participants and informants. Based on the idea that learning is “the process of making a new or revised interpretation of the meaning of an experience” (Mezirow), we initiate the students' awareness of their right to city (Lefebvre). They reflect on their existing living conditions using the photovoice method. They learn to organize visual simulation modeling workshops to design and discuss collectively their ideal habitable environment. Our objective is to empower the students to reflect concretely on what is an age friendly city. This learning process is discussed by the tutors and students to evaluate its empowerment capacity.
