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Integrating
the Generations
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For
most of Christmas Eve and Christmas day, four generations
of my family ate, told stories, argued, laughed, played games,
or watched movies at my brother's home where my Mom has a
small apartment. My Mom, the matriarch, is approaching
85, and the youngest great grandchild just turned 5.
Through her three grandchildren and then, in turn, her five
great grandchildren, my mother keeps her inner child alive.
She has shared her love of family, humor, sewing, reading,
and jigsaw puzzles with all of them, and she so enjoys listening
to them talk about their passions and their lives.
In the Boston
neighborhood where I lived through college, it was common
for multi generations to live in the same house or apartment
building. As we have become a more mobile society, such
a living arrangement has become less common. Families
living in the same city is rare. Add to this phenomenon,
the increasing number of divorces and the opportunity for
the generations to share their stories and lives become fewer
and fewer. Children miss having frequent interaction
with grandparents, and grandparents miss out on the daily
adventures of their grandchildren. All of us miss out
on the benefit of learning from each other. The
Foster Grandparent Program of the District of Columbia Senior
Citizens Counseling and Delivery Service began in 1972, and
its web page claims
that there are over 300 such programs in the nation.
To find a list for your state, visit the web site of Senior
Corps, of the Corporation
for National and Community Service.
Many communities
are developing programs that bring the generations together.
The more creative of them are helping to alleviate the issues
of latch key kids and lonely elders. Children and teens
are finding surrogate grandparents and mentors, while the
elders in the programs are becoming more engaged in the life
of the community and finding that they still have valuable
roles to play.
Again, occupational
therapy (OT) practitioners recognize the value of intergenerational
activities, and you will find references specific to OT amidst
the citations below. Several organizations exist just
to promote and support intergenerational programs:
AARP
Grandparents Information Center
Generation
Connection Society
Generations
United (GU)
The
Grandparenting Organization
Intergenerational
Innovations
Into the 21st
Century: Intergenerational Programming (U.S.
Department of Agriculture)
Select
Citations
Adams, C.
(2001). Kids dig the past. Better Homes & Gardens,
79(11), 104-6.
Abstract: Children have a natural curiosity regarding who
they are and where they come from. Sifting through old
photos, sharing family stories, and filling in family trees
can link parents and grandparents to children like nothing
else. In addition, as more people trace their family
roots today with the aid of the Internet and new software,
useful research skills can be picked up in the process.
The writer provides advice on getting children interested
in genealogy.
Bowers J. (1999).
Effects of an intergenerational choir for community-based
seniors and college
students on age-related
attitudes. Journal of Music Therapy, 35(1), 2-18.
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes
of college students and senior citizens towards each other
by incorporating successful components of a senior citizens'
music program into the "Adopt-A-Choir" program established
in a university music education/therapy program. Data collection
was accomplished using the Age Group Evaluation and Description
Inventory (AGED), providing insight into attitudes classified
in 4 domains/evaluative scales: Goodness, Positiveness, Vitality,
and Maturity. Subjects ware members of the Senior
Singers (n = 15,
15) and music education/therapy students enrolled in the
Woman's Glee Club
at a local university (n = 15, 12). Results of the pre/post
AGED survey warn
compared using the Wilcoxon Matched Pairs test, with means
increasing significantly for the four domains (p <. 02).
Gains were greatest for the seniors, suggesting a stronger
move from negative to positive attitudes. Though the
gains were smaller with the university students, all changes
were positive, with one exception: in the "vitality"
domain, university student attitude ratings decreased on the
continuum for "timid-assertive." Informal predictors
further suggested the partnership between seniors and university
students was enjoyed by both sets of participants.
Camp, C.J., Judge,
K.S., Bye, C.A., Fox, K.M., Bowden, J., Bell, M., Valencic,
K. & Mattern, J.M. (1997). An intergenerational
program for persons with dementia using Montessori methods.
Gerontologist, 37(5), 688-92.
ABSTRACT: An intergenerational program bringing together older
adults with dementia and preschool children in one-on-one
interactions is described. Montessori activities, which have
strong ties to physical and occupational therapy, as well
as to theories of developmental and cognitive psychology,
are used as the context for these interactions. Our experience
indicates that older adults with dementia can still serve
as effective mentors and teachers to children in an appropriately
structured setting.
Carnes, L.R.
(1997). Intergenerational occupation: An alternative
programming option.
Developmental
Disabilities Special Interest Section Quarterly, 20(2),
1-3.
Goldstein, H.,
Vasquez, V., Runyon, C., Lohman, M. & Gabriel, L.
(1991). Intergenerational experiences for occupational therapy
students. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics,
10(2), 17-30.
ABSTRACT: As the percentage of elders to the overall
U.S. population continues to grow, there will be an increased
need for occupational therapy services. Some, but not all,
occupational therapy professional curricula currently emphasize
coursework in gerontology. This paper presents a means of
supplementing academic coursework with intergenerational experiences.
These experiences involve contact with both the well and frail
elderly using graduated levels of activity. The purposes of
intergenerational experiences are: (1) to provide students
with positive contact with an aged person who they are, for
the most part, segregated from, yet with whom they are expected
to function effectively as future clinicians; (2) to help
eliminate stereotypes and to enable them to perceive the elder
population as a heterogeneous group; and (3) to instill clinical
skill of critical thinking as applied to treatment planning.
Ivey, J.B. (2001).
Somebody's grandma and grandpa. Children's responses
to contacts with elders. MCN American Journal of Maternal
and Child Nursing, 26(1), 23-7.
ABSTRACT: PURPOSE: This article describes the planning, implementation,
and evaluation of a program that introduced children into
a nursing home. METHOD: A qualitative descriptive design was
employed to measure the responses of children to the program.
The sample consisted of 61 children, including preschoolers
and adolescents. Data were collected from children who participated
in the activities (n = 33), and from children who had not
participated (n = 28).
Content analysis
was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: There were no differences
in perceptions of preschoolers who participated or did not
participate in the nursing home visitation program. In contrast,
adolescents who had not participated in the activities with
elders described physical infirmities and negative experiences
with elders, and talked about smells and boredom. However,
adolescent participants in the program demonstrated positive
perceptions and descriptions of elders. A favorite activity
for all ages was hearing the residents' stories and memories.
Adolescent participants reported that their experiences and
activities in the program had altered their opinions and beliefs,
and they expressed the intent to include elders in their lives
in the future. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Because adolescent children
exposed to these visits expressed positive perceptions of
elders it is prudent to plan larger scale studies with these
populations, and also to evaluate the effects of the visits
on nursing home residents.
Joe, B.E.
(1989). Buddies bridge generation gap. OT Week,
3(37), 20-1.
Katzman, B.
(1987). Elderly play mutually supportive
role...As grandparents in changing family.
OT Week,
1(30), 4-5, 14.
Musick, J.S. (1994).
Grandmothers and grandmothers-to-be: Effects on adolescent
mothers and adolescent mothering. Infants and Young
Children, 6(3), 1-9.
ABSTRACT: Analyses of observational, survey, interview,
and journal data gathered on a diverse group of pregnant and
parenting adolescents indicate that the relationships between
adolescent girls and their mothers are influential forces
in promoting (or in preventing) teenage childbearing and in
shaping adolescent mothers' attitudes and behaviors toward
their children. Although in some ways overlapping with
a range of other social, economic, and psychological factors,
mother-daughter relationships also play a distinct and prominent
role in patterns of teenage childbearing and child rearing.
Raphael, E.I.
(1988). Grandparents: A study of their role in Hispanic families.
Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics,
6(3/4), 31-62.
ABSTRACT: This pilot research project focuses on a description
of the role and identifying activities of grandparenting within
a lower income New York City Hispanic community. This study
has three components: a comparison of Hispanic and white grandparents,
an exploration of models derived from the gerontological and
growing grandparenthood literature, and a discussion
of the therapeutic potential of grandparenting activities.
The research design involved two interviews with 10 subjects
at a senior center. Research instruments included: Kornhaber
and Woodward's Life Story Approach and Grandparenting Questionnaire,
a genogram activity and the McNevins Test, "Describing
the Older Person." Results of the comparison between
the two groups of grandparents suggest that interesting differences
exist. Testing the theoretical models opens up new ways
of looking at the Hispanic grandparent...
Shipman, M.
(1999). How senior volunteers and intergenerational
programs contribute to education and enrich lives.
Education Canada,
39, (1), 31-34.
ABSTRACT: Describes the explosion in intergenerational
programs linking school children and seniors
in Ontario and in other Canadian provinces. Discusses program
benefits, form and content of programs, service-reciprocity
programs, age segregation in today's society, and social context
for the increase in programs. United Generations Ontario is
dedicated to promoting programs that bring young and old together.
Smith, B.J.
& Yeager, A. (1999). Intergenerational communities: Where
learning and interaction go hand-in-hand. 25-32.
Abstract: The authors argue for intergenerational programs
based on two contemporary orientations to teaching and learning:
constructivist and sociocultural. They provide examples of
school-based intra- and inter-generational activities that
challenge conventional notions about the capabilities of young
children and speak to the learning benefits of collaborative
decision-making. The authors offer several specific guidelines
for intergenerational developers and researchers that focus
on assessing the learning potential of intergenerational initiatives.
They also recommend case studies and participatory research
approaches as particularly useful for gaining insight into
intergenerational learning processes.
Travis, S.S., Stremmel,
A.J. & Kelly-Harrison, P. (1995). Intergenerational
programming for young children and dependent elders: Current
status and future directions. Activities, Adaptation
& Aging, 20(2), 33-50.
ABSTRACT: The results of a mail survey to child and
adult day care administrators in Virginia indicate a preference
for certain categories of intergenerational activities and
an overall willingness to provide intergenerational programs
for their clients. Included in the paper is a discussion of
the developmental and functional benefits, the child/elder
co-exploration value of frequently offered intergenerational
activities and suggestions for future directions of intergenerational
programs targeting young children elders.
VanderVen, K.
Intergenerational theory: The missing element in today's
intergenerational programs. Child & youth services,
20(1/2), 33-47.
ABSTRACT: Various modifications to current theories
of human development are suggested along with potential applications
to intergenerational programming. It is argued that a new
intergenerational theory of human development should be developed
that accounts for an increase in life span, contemporary societal
values, and the role of environmental variables in shaping
behavior. Such an intergenerational theoretical approach should
be used to examine the potential developmental outcomes for
specific age-group dyads engaged in programmatic activities.
Implications of such an approach for research and program
evaluation are also suggested.
Ward, C.R., Kamp,
L.L. & Newman, S. (1996). The effects of participation
in an intergenerational program on the behavior of residents
with dementia. Activities, Adaptation & Aging,
20(4), 61-76.
ABSTRACT: This paper reports on a project that sought
to demonstrate the value of intergenerational activities for
long-term care residents who participated in weekly music
activities with young children and in similar activities without
the children. Videotaping and a natural observer gathered
data on residents' positive behaviors (for example, laughing).
Analysis found two statistically significant difference between
those times when children were and were not present: touching
was more frequent when children were present while head nodding
was less frequent. Caregivers observed residents' agitation
levels later in the day on which the activities took place.
Analysis showed that participation in activities with small
children lowered residents' agitation levels.
Wiscott, R. &
Kopera-Frye, K. (2000). Sharing of culture: adult grandchildren's
perceptions of intergenerational relations. International
Journal of Aging & Human Development, 51(3),199-215.
ABSTRACT: The current study addressed the sharing of traditions,
beliefs, and customs (i.e., culture) between grandparents
and grandchildren. Two hundred and forty-six adult grandchildren
were surveyed on both existing and newly created measures
of grandparenting. Results indicated that extent of shared
activities, attitudes toward grandparents, and perceptions
of cultural sharing were significantly related. Additionally,
it was found that minority and female participants were more
likely to engage in intergenerational culture sharing and
reported more positive statements about this sharing in response
to open-ended questions. Findings highlight the importance
of cultural sharing to perceptions of grandchild-grandparent
relationships.
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