Do Intergenerational Activities do any Good for Older Adults Well-Being? A Brief Review

Abstract

Introduction: With the rapid growth in the oldest old segment of the population across the world, public policy interests tend to be more directed to quality of life than quantity of life for those of advanced age. Although there is a growing body of literature on the effects of psychosocial interventions for older adults, interventions from a crossgenerational viewpoint are under-researched. This article briefly reviews the impacts on the well-being of community dwelling older people of participation in non-kin related intergenerational activities. Method: A literature review was conducted to assess current research regarding intergenerational activities and outcomes among older adults. The search included English-language publications that reported original data from January 1986 to mid-2014. Studies were published in a peer-reviewed journal and without country restriction. Supplementary searched were performed and a narrative synthesis was conducted. Intergenerational interventions involving older people with dementia were excluded. Results: Overall positive benefits from the intergenerational programmes can be seen in terms of improved cognitive functioning, as well as in the emotional and social dimensions of well-being for older adults living in the community. Conclusion: More studies with larger sample sizes and longer-time horizons are needed to confirm the optimal levels of intensity and duration that would maximize the synergistic effects for all participating generations.