As a grandparenting advocate, I have long said that grandparents, when they unleash their creativity, can have a transformational effect on their families.
And, research shows that the benefit of intergenerational connections does, indeed, have positive outcomes for the grandparents, the grandchildren and the community as a whole.
I’ve always believed this, and last year I set out to prove it by engaging the incredibly smart and talented team of Elizabeth Cole and Annette Charles from Graettinger Cole Impact Consulting to do an extensive research and evaluation project to document the power of the Grandparent Grandchild Connection School Program.
Here’s what they found:
Benefits of Intergenerational Engagement for Older Adults
- Enhance Socialization
- Older adults want to remain productive and engaged in the community. A way to prevent isolation in their later years is to increase interaction with children and youth.
- Stimulate Learning
- Older adults learn new innovations and technologies from their younger counterparts. They want to continue to use the skills they have acquired in their lifetimes as well as acquire new ones. Motivation and commitment to intergenerational programs comes when they feel they have taken part in their development.
- Increase Emotional Support
- Regular participation in structured social and productive activities and membership in large social networks have been shown to independently benefit health and functional outcomes as people age.
- Improve Health
- Active, engaged older adults remain in better health. Older adults who volunteer live longer and with better physical and mental health than their non-volunteering counterparts.
- Regularly volunteers with children burn 20% more calories per week, experienced fewer falls, were less reliant on canes, and performed better on a memory test than their peers.
- Those with dementia or other cognitive impairments demonstrate more gains during interactions with children than during non-intergenerational activities.
- Enhance Socialization
- Older adults want to remain productive and engaged in the community. A way to prevent isolation in their later years is to increase interaction with children and youth.
- Stimulate Learning
- Older adults learn new innovations and technologies from their younger counterparts. They want to continue to use the skills they have acquired in their lifetimes as well as acquire new ones. Motivation and commitment to intergenerational programs comes when they feel they have taken part in their development.
- Increase Emotional Support
- Regular participation in structured social and productive activities and membership in large social networks have been shown to independently benefit health and functional outcomes as people age.
- Improve Health
- Active, engaged older adults remain in better health. Older adults who volunteer live longer and with better physical and mental health than their non-volunteering counterparts.
- Regularly volunteers with children burn 20% more calories per week, experienced fewer falls, were less reliant on canes, and performed better on a memory test than their peers.
- Those with dementia or other cognitive impairments demonstrate more gains during interactions with children than during non-intergenerational activities.
Benefits of Intergenerational Engagement for Children & Youth
- Enhance Socialization
- Older adults want to remain productive and engaged in the community. A way to prevent isolation in their later years is to increase interaction with children and youth.
- Stimulate Learning
- Older adults learn new innovations and technologies from their younger counterparts. They want to continue to use the skills they have acquired in their lifetimes as well as acquire new ones. Motivation and commitment to intergenerational programs comes when they feel they have taken part in their development.
- Increase Emotional Support
- Regular participation in structured social and productive activities and membership in large social networks have been shown to independently benefit health and functional outcomes as people age.
- Improve Health:
- Active, engaged older adults remain in better health. Older adults who volunteer live longer and with better physical and mental health than their non-volunteering counterparts.
- Regularly volunteers with children burn 20% more calories per week, experienced fewer falls, were less reliant on canes, and performed better on a memory test than their peers.
- Those with dementia or other cognitive impairments demonstrate more gains during interactions with children than during non-intergenerational activities.
Benefits of Intergenerational Engagement for the Community
- Strengthen Community:
- Bringing together diverse groups and networks
- Helping to dispel inaccurate and negative stereotypes
- Sharing talents and resources help to create a unified group identity
- Reducing isolation/alienation across age groups, showing that children, youth and elders can contribute
- Preserve historical and cultural traditions, enhance community spirit
- Strengthen partnerships among community organizations and individuals
- Maximize Human Resources:
- Engaging older adults and youth as volunteers in different types of opportunities and populations
- Encouraging Cultural Exchange: transmission of cultural traditions and values from older to younger generations, building a sense of personal and societal identity while encouraging tolerance.
Annette has an amazing way of making numbers and data tell a very compelling story. See the research summary here: