ABSTRACT

People living in residential aged care homes in Australia often have limited opportunities for meaningful social engagement. The present study aimed to characterize the state of intergenerational programs in residential aged care within a nationwide Australian sample. A total of 572 valid survey responses were received. A large number of aged care homes had existing programs, but only 18.2% had active programs; 44.4% reported their programs as temporarily suspended, predominantly due to COVID-19. The most common activities included singing (67.8%), games (56.8%), reading (51.1%) and craft (41.5%). Mental health and wellbeing, opportunity to socialize, and connection with the community were considered as the main benefits. There is consensus on the benefits of well-placed programming and engagement. Several barriers and challenges to engagement exist, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Aged care homes need adequate information and support to increase their ability to offer intergenerational programs between residents and community members.

摘要

居住在澳大利亚养老院的人们进行有意义的社会参与的机会往往有限。本研究旨在描述澳大利亚全国样本中住宅老年护理代际计划的状况。共收到 572 份有效调查回复。大量养老院已有项目，但只有 18.2% 的项目正在实施；44.4% 的受访者表示，他们的项目暂时暂停，主要原因是新冠肺炎 (COVID-19)。最常见的活动包括唱歌（67.8%）、游戏（56.8%）、阅读（51.1%）和手工（41.5%）。心理健康和福祉、社交机会以及与社区的联系被认为是主要的好处。人们对适当的规划和参与的好处达成了共识。参与方面存在一些障碍和挑战，包括 COVID-19 大流行。老年护理院需要足够的信息和支持，以提高其在居民和社区成员之间提供代际计划的能力。