Big and Mini: A Promising Program to Link Generations to Cope With Social Isolation

Introduction Social isolation disproportionately affected older adults prior to and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. To help older adults cope with social isolation, a new program “Big and Mini” was created in April 2020 to link young and older adults together (matched through a custom website developed for this program) and to help increase social connectivity through weekly phone calls. Using a survey with both closed and open questions, this study evaluated participant feedback three months after the program was launched. Methods 63 Bigs (age 50+) and 53 Minis (age 18+) completed the survey. Stress compared to before COVID-19, social isolation, life satisfaction, intergenerational solidarity, and satisfaction with the program were measured for both the Big and Mini participants. Descriptive, bivariate correlation, group comparison and conventional content analyses were conducted. Results Results showed that 38.1% of Bigs and 37.7% of Minis felt higher levels of stress than before COVID-19. Both Bigs and Minis had medium levels of social isolation. They also reported high levels of satisfaction with life, satisfaction with the program, and intergenerational solidarity. Content analysis suggested that the reasons to join or expectations of the program were curiosity, friendship, mutually beneficial intergenerational connections, and coping with loneliness. Both Bigs and Minis reported benefits from the learning and sharing opportunities that the program offered. Conclusions The Big and Mini program offers a promising approach with mutual benefits for both Bigs and Minis. Strategies to improve the program and implications for other phone-based intergenerational programs are presented.

An Intergenerational Zoom Music Therapy Group During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in ageist attitudes and psychological distress and loneliness among older people. The social isolation exacerbated the intergenerational segregation between young and older adults, and has also been expressed within families, since grandparents could not meet their grandchildren in person. The present study involved an intergenerational music intervention, as a vehicle to bridge the gap between grandparents and grandchildren at the COVID-19 pandemic. 41 grandparents aged 56-80, and 45 grandchildren aged 9.9-11.8 took part. Of these, 21 pairs of grandparents and grandchildren participated in a weekly online intergenerational zoom music therapy group for eight weeks, and the rest constituted a waitlist-controlled group. All participants completed the same questionnaires during the same time periods before and after the intervention. The results point to the effectiveness of participation in the sessions in improving intergenerational connections and psychological well-being, and in reducing ageist attitudes and loneliness.

Age-Friendly Universities (AFU): Necessary Partners for Age-Friendly Communities

The pioneering Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative, endorsed in 2016 by GSA’s Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE), calls for institutions of higher education to respond to shifting demographics and the needs of aging populations through more age-friendly campus programs, practices, and partnerships. The case will be made that AFU institutions can also play vital roles in helping neighboring communities develop, launch, assess, and sustain their age-friendly efforts through research and related endeavors that engage students and faculty. In addition, AFU campus-community partnerships can play a critical role in breaking down age-segregation that fuels ageism, building intergenerational connections, and increasing aging literacy among rising community members - all of which are necessary steps for building age-friendly communities.

ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᓯᑯᓯᓛᕐᒥᑦ Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios

ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᓯᑯᓯᓛᕐᒥᑦ Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios, curated by Roxane Shaughnessy of the Textile Museum of Canada in consultation with independent curator Nakasuq Alariaq, examines the legacy of newly-discovered textile prints from Kinngait Studios and their contribution to art history on both national and global scales. The exhibition shares and preserves a little-known history, drawing connections to contemporary Inuit artistic production and centers Inuit voices in telling this story. At its core, Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios highlights the powerful way in which visual language can inspire intergenerational connections and jump-start new conversations between artists, community members, and the public at large. * This review was prepared in partial completion of a masters-level course, and as such, the author did not have the capacity to consult with members of Kinngait community. In future writings, the author hopes to consult and collaborate alongside community members.

Storytelling through Popular Music: Social Memory, Reconciliation, and Intergenerational Healing in Oromia/Ethiopia

Drawing on a popular music video titled ‘Beelbaa’ by a young Oromo artist, Jambo Jote, this article discusses the moments and contexts that compel young people to speak up in subtle and poetic ways. By interpreting the content of the lyrics, doing a visual analysis of the music video, and connecting both to contemporary discourses, it explores how researching social memory through music can be used as a lens to understand Ethiopian society, politics, and history. The article draws attention to alternative spaces of resistance as well as sites of intergenerational connections such as lyrics, music videos, songs, and online discussions. I argue that storytelling through music not only bridges differences on problematic and sometimes highly polarized discourses engendered by selective remembering and forgetting of national history, but that it is also indispensable for reconciliation and peaceful coexistence. Tuning into young people’s music can touch us in ways that are real, immediate, and therapeutic, making it possible for our collective wounds to heal. I further demonstrate that as musical storytelling appeals to multiple generations, it can facilitate mediation, truce, and intergenerational understanding.

Intergenerational connections through technology: Insights from the Technology Use in Later Life multi-site study

With enhanced challenges to maintain social connections especially during times of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for technology solutions grow. Technologies have become interwoven into the daily lives for many older adults. The Technology Use in Later Life (TILL) study investigated how the perceptions and use of technology both can foster new and leverage existing intergenerational relationships. Through a mixed methods study engaging older adults aged 70 years of age and greater across rural and urban sites in Canada and the UK (N=37), participants described how the interconnection between technology and intergenerational relationships was an integral component to social connectedness with others. Through a qualitative descriptive approach, it was noted that older adults leveraged intergenerational relationships with family and friends to adjust to new technologies and to remain connected to adult children and grandchildren especially when there is high geographic separation between them. Especially during times of COVID-19, younger family members can play an important role to introduce and teach older adults how to use, technologies such as digital devices, computers, and social networking sites. Participants emphasized the benefits of intergenerational connections to adopt and use technology in later life noting flexibility and willingness to overcome barriers to technology adoption and remain connected across the generations. The adoption and uptake of technologies may continue as viable options during times of social distancing to support older persons to remain independent, age in place, in both age-friendly cities and across rural geographies during and post COVID-19.

Development and Validation of the Age Integration Scale: Measuring Older Adults’ Intergenerational Attitudes

Opportunities for age integration (i.e., more intergenerational connections) are increasing among older adults, as a greater number live longer and are capable of interacting with younger individuals. Attitudes toward other generations can be considered a barrier that promotes or discourages intergenerational connections. While existing measures tend to focus on attitudes toward aging or older adults, they do not evaluate older adults’ attitudes toward younger individuals. Item response theory (IRT) was used to create an attitude scale evaluating older adults’ perceptions of their own age integration with younger individuals. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 100 older adults (55+ years old) who completed a 30-item age integration survey assessing their agreement (on a 5-point Likert scale) with statements about intergenerational beliefs and intentions to have intergenerational connections. IRT analyses supported a 10-item age integration scale indicating a unidimensional construct. The scale consists of items with moderate discrimination and difficulty levels on a 4-point Likert scale. Composite reliability of the 10-item scale was 0.83, which is considered substantial. Tests of convergent validity demonstrated that the total scale score correlated 0.68 with generativity. Discriminant validity tests suggest that the scale does not correlate strongly with satisfaction with life, purpose, depression, need for cognition, or considerations for future consequences, as the correlations ranged from -0.01 to 0.38. This novel measure provides an important, less-considered perspective of intergenerational relationships by assessing older adults’ attitudes toward younger individuals. Future studies will validate this scale in a larger, more generalizable sample.

Why Intergenerational Connections Matter in Higher Education

The Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) has a long and rich history of fostering the commitment of higher education to the field of aging through education, research, and public service. To this end, AGHE members have made innovative and effective use of intergenerational strategies. This presentation will highlight these efforts gleaned from AGHE’s official journal Gerontology and Geriatrics Education and Intergenerational Learning, Research, and Community Engagement interest group (ILRCE), with special attention to intergenerational classroom exchange, service-learning and community activities, and socially-focused undertakings. Contributions to the evaluation of intergenerational programs will also be noted. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of how this work is now helping to shape the Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative which calls for institutions of higher education to promote intergenerational learning to facilitate the reciprocal sharing of expertise between learners of all ages.