TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparing Community-based Intergenerational Activities in Israel
T2 - Participants, Programs, and Perceived Outcomes
AU - Cohen-Mansfield, Jiska
AU - Muff, Aline
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - This study investigated whether the content of different community-based intergenerational programs (IGPs) affects their perceived impact on older and younger participants. Data were collected through direct structured questionnaires administered to 84 older, and 96 younger participants, and were assessed using both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Different IGP types involved participants with differing background characteristics and were associated with different benefits and challenges. In art programs, older participants reported being more active and younger participants indicated more awareness of others, but also greater stress. Learning programs contributed to older persons’ happiness, and younger persons’ acquisition of new skills, but were also associated with divergent expectations between young and old, and a perception that young participants lacked commitment. Assistance programs attracted older participants with greater needs, and were associated with such benefits as alleviating older persons’ loneliness, improving younger participants’ satisfaction from helping, but also involved challenges pertaining to the relationship termination. Generally, older participants reported more benefits than younger persons. The results highlight the need to differentiate between IGP types, a distinction not addressed in previous studies. The combination of activity content and participant characteristics and needs may lead to different perceived program impacts.
AB - This study investigated whether the content of different community-based intergenerational programs (IGPs) affects their perceived impact on older and younger participants. Data were collected through direct structured questionnaires administered to 84 older, and 96 younger participants, and were assessed using both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Different IGP types involved participants with differing background characteristics and were associated with different benefits and challenges. In art programs, older participants reported being more active and younger participants indicated more awareness of others, but also greater stress. Learning programs contributed to older persons’ happiness, and younger persons’ acquisition of new skills, but were also associated with divergent expectations between young and old, and a perception that young participants lacked commitment. Assistance programs attracted older participants with greater needs, and were associated with such benefits as alleviating older persons’ loneliness, improving younger participants’ satisfaction from helping, but also involved challenges pertaining to the relationship termination. Generally, older participants reported more benefits than younger persons. The results highlight the need to differentiate between IGP types, a distinction not addressed in previous studies. The combination of activity content and participant characteristics and needs may lead to different perceived program impacts.
KW - Intergenerational programs
KW - community-based programs
KW - intergenerational program evaluation
KW - intergenerational relations
KW - older adults
KW - young persons
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85118118461&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/01634372.2021.1983683
DO - 10.1080/01634372.2021.1983683
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C2 - 34689696
AN - SCOPUS:85118118461
SN - 0163-4372
VL - 65
SP - 495
EP - 511
JO - Journal of Gerontological Social Work
JF - Journal of Gerontological Social Work
IS - 5
ER -