Following on from their ground-breaking intergenerational care research, which analysed programs combining aged care and child-care, Professor Anneke Fitzgerald and Dr Katrina Radford from Griffith Business School, said their findings recommended a training qualification for such a career.

“Importantly we see great benefits to both older and younger people in a way that makes us think about the sustainability of the program,’’ Professor Fitzgerald said.

“One way to ensure sustainability is to have a well prepared and skilled workforce, so we are furthering our research into developing intergenerational practitioners – a specific career path that underwrites the intergenerational practice models in Australia.

“Intergenerational care programs offer an effective, alternative model of care in Australia, so this new career pathway may address shortages in both child-care and aged care.”

The researchers have published an evidence-based toolkit for those who want to establish a program connecting younger and older people. It includes costing to set up and run a program as well as a step-by-step guide on how to plan, deliver and evaluate an intergenerational practice program.

“We are also able to share tips on how to conduct the program. We connect three-to-five-year-olds with people over 65 in different modes,’’ Professor Fitzgerald said.

“There is no ‘best’ model, but our evidence showed the program should be 8-10 weeks, 1.5-2 hours per week, with one-on-one interaction between younger person and older person.

“High intergenerational engagement is achieved when doing one-on-one activities, such as reading. There’s less engagement when doing group activities such as dancing or ball games. But we recommend a mix of high, middle and low level of engagement.

“These activities depend a lot on the mobility of older people. We have noticed that all participants greatly enjoy one another’s company, with a lot of laughter and love shared.”

Dr Radford said they also noticed the benefits of older people and younger people learning in a reciprocal way.

“We already know a lot about how younger people learn through pedagogy. However, we don’t know a lot about how older people learn and there is no real established eldergogy as yet.

“Our intergenerational practice research is ideal to start developing a theory that supports older people (re)learning.”

She said it was important to understand brain development and brain function decline and how it is influenced by mixing generations.

“We believe bringing together younger and older people has great benefits for both. For younger people, in addition to tapping into the wisdom of older people, they are less likely to become delinquent during teenage years.

“Older people are less socially isolated when they mix with younger people. As a result, they may very well delay cognitive and associated physical decline, are more active and happier.”

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Travel around the periphery of any British town or city, and you will quickly behold a symbol of one of the most painful modern divides. The average residential care home will be set well back from the road, seemingly silent and apparently cut off from most of the life of the surrounding community.

When people who know nothing of those inside glimpse such sights, what passes through their minds? Empathy, perhaps, with a family member living in such a facility; mounting awareness, maybe, of the rising care crisis and our collective failure to solve it. But what such sights could also embody is the widening divide between generations, and people leading completely separate lives.

Please click here to read the full “The gap between young and old has turned Britain into a dysfunctional family” published at the Guardian, written by John Harris.

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“This is a really valuable experience,” Acting Centre Director Yola Krugar said of the partnership.

“The children bring such a big smile to the resident’s faces and just lighten up their day. In return for that, the children are able to perform songs and do activities with the residents.”

Please click here to read the full “The benefits of intergenerational relationships” article published at St Nicholas Early Education, written by Alexander Foster.

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Founder of Baby Singalong Liz turner and a group of happy mums and their babies visit residents at several care homes a week bringing the importance of intergenerational care by reducing loneliness and sharing experiences for both generations to enjoy.

Please click here to read the full “Intergenerational visits to care home make children ‘non-judgemental’ and elderly feel loved” article published at Day Nurseries, written by Jill Rennie.

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One such solution is called intergenerational care: Seniors and toddlers attending day care together. The trend has caught on in places around the globe, from Seattle to Singapore. It is now being tried in Western New York, with the GreenFields Continuing Care Community in Lancaster as one of the early adopters. There is a lot to like about putting different generations together.

Please click here to read the full “Old and young together in intergenerational care” article published at The Buffalo News.

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This classroom’s “kylämummi” is Marjatta Ahonen,  a 71-year old retired psychotherapist. She volunteers for the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL), Finland’s largest organization dedicated to child and family welfare. From 2006, MLL has run a program encouraging older people to volunteer as communal grandparents. They meet their communal “grandchildren” in schools, libraries, and other family-friendly spaces. The idea is to give lonely pensioners a purpose, and to give children who may live far away from their own grandparents a chance to forge a meaningful bond with an older person. There are 830 communal grandparents across Finland.

Please click here to read the full ““She comes, they are happy”: How communal grandparents are helping raise Finnish children” article published at Quartz Daily Brief, written by Annabelle Timsit.

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Suffolk Artlink’s ‘Letters from…’ project aims to creatively engage primary school children and care home residents within the county in their shared heritage through artist-led activities.

Five different communities across Suffolk – including Halesworth and Lowestoft – will explore collections of letters written by local people and held in Suffolk’s museums and archives through a 12-week programme.

Please click here to read the full “Young and old set to unite for ‘fascinating’ new project” published at Eastern Daily Press.

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The collocated early learning centre is being built in partnership with SA Montessori at the Smart Road site.

The new development will feature a community garden, a café, gym, community hall and allied health services. It will also feature dementia-friendly and key design principles and is informed by community consultation.

Please click here to read the full “Noticeboard: ECH building an intergenerational village” article published by Australian Ageing Agenda

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Anyone who followed it would have clearly seen the impact the little children had on the senior participants, most of whom had resigned to a life of isolation and dependence. The best part about working in the community sector is that the means are within our grasp to implement programs like this in the ACT.

For a subject area that has only recently been given attention, there is already a growing body of research suggesting a correlation between intergenerational connections and positive ageing, and the importance of positive ageing has never been more prominent than it is now.

Please click here to read the full “‘Growing old and growing young’: the importance of intergenerational connections” article published at Riot Act, written by Jenelle Tinham.

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The visits are taking place every Thursday morning at HammondCare North Turramurra’s Princess Juliana Lodge, a residential care service for residents.

Residential Manager North Turramurra Sarah Murphy said the intergenerational playdates were a win for both the children – up to 10 at a time – and the residents, who appreciate the stimulating company.

Please click here to read the full “Intergenerational ‘playdates’ expand dementia awareness for children” article published by HelloCare Australia.

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