The Perspective of Elderly Residents on an Intergenerational Service-Learning Project

With our growing aging population, intergenerational service-learning has been on the rise in recent decades. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the effects of a brief, mutually constructed, intergenerational service-learning program on active older adults (i.e., those who reside independently within the community) of a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) subsidized residential apartment community in an underserved rural region of the U.S. Results indicated positive themes, consisting of feeling listened to, not invisible, and young. In addition, opportunities for life-long development, such as increased intergenerational understanding and generativity, were indicated.

Automated summary

This study aimed to explore the effects of an intergenerational service-learning program on active older adults living in a HUD subsidized residential apartment community. The results indicated positive effects of the program, including feeling listened to, not invisible, and young, as well as opportunities for life-long development such as increased intergenerational understanding and generativity.