Learning together： Process evaluation of an intergenerational program in an elder care home in southern Taiwan.
Date Issued
2011
Date
2011
Author(s)
Tsai, En-Tz
Abstract
Abstract
Aging is becoming a global issue. The WHO and the United Nation has call upon every nation’s attention on developing integration between non-kinship generation due to the aging society and the indifferent intergeneration structure. The researcher serves at senior citizen’s welfare institution, sensing that intergeneration studies in Taiwan has put a great focus on community elderly and the young generation but ignored the institutionalized elderly. The institutionalized residents, however, often have the experience interacting with students, community young adults, and young volunteers.What do these intergenerational interacting experiences mean and what special meaning do they have for the institutionalized residents?How do the institutes serve using the intergeneration experience? The goals for this study therefore are: 1. Understanding the developmental process of intergeneration interaction;2. Understanding the meaning the intergenerational interaction has for the residents; 3.Bring up principles for institutes to apply the intergenerational interaction concluding the above.
The researcher studied the interaction between the institutionalized residents and social worker college students, observed the interactive experience between the residents and the students during activities. The researcher also interviewed seven residents on their intergenerational interaction experiences, the eight interns’ participation experiences, in order to understand the intergeneration interaction experiences and their meanings to the residents.The study reveals that: 1)the opportunity for intergeneration interaction could be created; 2)the residents displayed low motivation to interact in the beginning of the relationship; 3)assisting the residents understand the role of the interns helped the residents actively involve in the relationship; 4)the design of intergeneration interaction displayed the ability of the residents; 5)the effect of intergeneration interaction developed after the intergenerational relationship was built; 6)intergeneration interaction helped induce the residents’ consideration and kindness; 7)the interns embraced more openly attitudes on seeing the residents’ strength; 8)intergeneration experience helped develop the elderly work efforts; 9)the ambiguous grandparent and grandchild alike relationship could cause role confusion; 10)close intergeneration interaction relationship could easily develop emotional over-attachment; 11)interactive relationship revealed ethical dilemma.
According to the results, the study offers a few suggestions for elderly welfare institutions and intergeneration project designs. For institution: 1)blend new residents’ adaptation manipulating the intergeneration interaction service; 2) actively develop the strength the residents display in intergeneration interaction; 3) encourage interns to stay at the institute after the project; 4)Offer internship for students at the institute in order to cultivate work force human resource for the elderly. For intergeneration project design: 1)Avoid over-personal or private conversation at the beginning of the relationship development; 2)Assisting residents to be aware of the interns’ existence in their lives is helpful for intergeneration relationship development; 3)the interns need to be guided and encouraged to continuously involve in building the relationship; 4)intergeneration relationship should aim for long-term development in order to achieve intergeneration effect; 5)both roles should be clearly clarified at the beginning of the intergeneration interaction; 6)supervision should apply social work ethic more flexibly.
Subjects
intergenerational interaction
intergenerational relationships
institution resident
intern
Type
thesis
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