Intergenerational care: an exploration of consumer preferences and willingness to pay for care

Key Considerations to the Introduction of Intergenerational Practice to Australian Policy

Intergenerational practice programs provide purposeful interactions between generations. While research reports improved social and behavioral outcomes for cohorts, no study has explored both expert and potential consumer perceptions of the implementation of intergenerational practice programs. This study conducted a Delphi study of expert opinions, as well as a national survey of potential consumers (N = 1020), to provide critical insights into the potential barriers to implementing intergenerational practice programs. Results revealed that 71.3% of potential consumers would participate in intergenerational practice programs if they were available and experts agreed that the program was of benefit to both populations. However, there were shared concerns regarding the transport, safety, and outcomes of the program for participants. Based on our findings we offer several policy considerations in the implementation of intergenerational programs.

Intergenerational living and learning: The value and risks of co-locating retirement villages on secondary school campuses - Evaluating the GrandSchools vision

OBJECTIVES

GrandSchools is a new concept which co-locates retirement villages with secondary schools in one physical environment. Designed to enhance the health and well-being of both younger and older generations, this intergenerational-shared campus model promotes intergenerational inclusivity and active learning and living. In this paper, we explore stakeholder experts' perceptions of current opportunities and impediments to this proposed intergenerational learning and living model.

METHODS

A qualitative study reporting on findings from an industry seminar (n = 50) and key interviews (n = 10) from stakeholders in education, health, higher education, the management and operation of retirement villages, and design firms.

RESULTS

Three key themes summarised participants' assessment of the value, risks and what needs to change in order for intergenerational living and learning to become a reality.

CONCLUSIONS

By bringing younger and older generations together in one shared campus location, GrandSchools is a novel idea to promote intergenerational inclusivity, enhancing the health and well-being of our whole community.

Filial piety matters: A study of intergenerational supports and parental health

Eldercare has become a major challenge in China. As intergenerational support from children remains the primary source of caregiving, this paper investigates the impact of such support on parents' health outcomes. Exploiting data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we adopt the Heckman selection model and ordered probit model with instrumental variables, the firstborn son and firstborn daughter, to control for the potential endogeneity existing between intergenerational support and parents’ health outcomes. Our results suggest that intergenerational support, including emotional and financial support, is effective in improving parental health status, including physical and psychological well-being and performance of activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Emotional support also improves parental cognition. Children have trade-offs between emotional and financial support. Our findings provide insight into more efficient healthcare for the elderly.

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Intergenerational support is effective in improving parental physical and psychological well-being.

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Both emotional and financial supports matter for parental health and performance of activities of daily living.

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Emotional support improves parental cognitive ability.

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Children have trade-offs between emotional and financial support.

Uniting generations: A research protocol examining the impacts of an intergenerational learning program on participants and organisations

Economic, health and social issues associated with the ageing population and the disconnect between the generations call for novel approaches to care services. Intergenerational programs are known to enhance engagement between generations, improve health and well-being and create a stronger sense of community. While the health and social benefits are well documented, little attention has been given to the operational aspects of intergenerational programs within care facilities. This paper describes the research protocol used to develop, implement and evaluate an intergenerational learning program for preschool-aged children and older people attending care services. The research focuses on five key areas: (a) impact on older people and children; (b) intergenerational learning; (c) workforce development; (d) socio-economic implications and costs; and (e) program fidelity and sustainability. Findings from this research are expected to contribute to building age-friendly communities through the development of practical operational guidelines for intergenerational learning programs to be implemented more broadly across Australia.