Evaluation of an intergenerational volunteer program for persons living with dementia and their care partners

Abstract

AbstractFor people living with dementia, staying connected and engaging in meaningful activities can have a considerable impact on their quality of life. However, people living with dementia are often subject to dementia‐related stigma putting them at increased risk of social isolation. For care partners who might be struggling emotionally and physically, dementia‐related stigma makes it less likely they will seek help when caring for their loved one. The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of person‐centered intergenerational volunteer programs for people living with dementia. More specifically, this study evaluated an intergenerational program that pairs people living with dementia in the community and in long‐term care homes with university and high school students to engage in one‐on‐one friendly interactions with the same students for two hours, twice a week (people living with dementia can also choose to be paired with 2 students to receive more visits per week). Results from data compiled between 2021 and 2023 on 165 students, 54 care partners, and 54 people living with dementia collected at baseline, 4 months, 8 months, and 12 months (i.e., ageism, caregiver burden, quality of life) and feedback about the program collected at 4 months, 8 months, and 12 months will be presented. The implementation, adoption, and sustainability of intergenerational programs will also be discussed. Intergenerational volunteer programs have the potential to improve the quality of life of people living with dementia and to promote dementia‐friendly communities and culture change in long‐term care homes.