The popular ABC television series ‘Old People’s Home For Four-Year-Olds’ has inspired a new pilot program that will test the theory that bringing together the older and younger generations really does improve people’s quality of life.
An Australian first, the Intergenerational Integration Initiative will see older Australians and young children engage in a structured series of investigative, artistic and educational activities together.
Evidence has previously suggested that this kind of intergenerational interaction can help to reduce frailty and improve mood in thinking skills in older people – and it could have benefits for the young children too.
“Early research indicates these programs could lead to better physical health and cognition among adults over the age of 65, and better interpersonal skills among children under the age of 5,” said lead researcher, Associate Professor Ruth Peters, a Senior Research Scientist at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and Conjoint Associate Professor at UNSW.
“Children and older adults can be the perfect companions and build lovely partnerships where they both really care for each other,” she added.
Program could be rolled out Australia-wide if successful
With funding from the UNSW Ageing Futures Institute, with in-kind support from St Nicolas’ Church and Preschool and Anglicare, the trial will run for 10 weeks within the school term at St Nics’ Christian Preschool in Coogee in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. The research teams will include psychologists and geriatricians from UNSW, University of Sydney and Griffith University.
The community has already thrown its support behind the program – a survey of 258 parents, teachers and older adults themselves by the researchers found over 92 per cent were in favour of the initiative.
If the first pilot proves successful, a larger follow-up trial will test whether it could be rolled out throughout NSW and across Australia.
With social isolation and loneliness identified by the Royal Commission as areas in need of reform, we think it’s great to see some new thinking.
For more information on the study, please visit neura.edu.au/intergenerational-integration-initiative/
