College is for younger folks, right? Yes, the majority of the population you’ll find on a college campus is in the younger generations. Most older adults don’t even consider connecting with college students. But there is a new program funded by The Council of Independent Colleges and the AARP Foundation. This program, known as Intergenerational Connections, connects lower income older adults with college students. Together, they work on topics such as fall risk, medication management, and self-care. But the benefits don’t only affect the seniors. The college students gain empathy, communication skills, and an overall appreciation for life.
Intergenerational Connections has so much value. As this Next Avenue article describes, when connecting seniors with older adults, it can be life changing for all involved. Whether they’re eating meals, learning, dancing, or singing together, much can be learned from each other. AARP Foundation president Lisa Marsh Ryerson says she observes the students and older adults often. And they clearly enjoy working together.
Amazingly, 75 percent of students who participated in this program went into health care professions working with older adults. A professor of occupational therapy at one California college claimed that the majority of students entering the occupational therapy program wanted to work with children. However, 75 percent of Intergenerational Connections students chose to work with older adults upon graduation.
Projects for program participants range from social, to educational, to recreational. Of course, many seniors don’t live close enough to this type of program. But they can still gain the benefits of intergenerational contact. Spending quality time with your own grandchildren can be beneficial. A relevant activity could be getting help with technology, which comes so easy to them. Or volunteering at a school like the two retired seniors in their 80’s working in our children’s elementary classrooms. Different generations definitely have different perspectives on life and of course, teach each other.