Intergenerational projects and activities have become popular among both youth and senior citizen groups across Ireland. These programmes fill a variety of personal and societal needs as our society becomes increasingly age-segregated. This study examined the impact of intergenerational projects on a group of six girls aged 15 to 16 living in the west of Ireland. It explores preconceptions and changes in views towards older people, as well as personal impacts. All participants were members of a local youth group and had taken part in two intergenerational projects at a local nursing home. The first project involved working with residents to prepare pieces of art for an art exhibition. For the second project the youths discussed hopes and wishes with the residents and from these interactions and in conjunction with the residents, they created wishes for the nursing home Christmas tree. Twenty nursing home residents between the ages of 60 and 99 took part. A focus group was the chosen method of data collection. The main finding was that by taking part in the programme young people’s opinions of older people changed from negative to more positive ones.
"The Impact of Intergenerational Projects on the Younger Person's View of Older People,"
Journal of Social Care:
1, Article 2.
Available at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/jsoc/vol1/iss1/2