Enhancing Social Interaction between Preschoolers and Older Adults with Dementia - Report Series # 6

This qualitative intergenerational study, conducted in the spring and summer of 2005, was structured within the parameters of the High/Scope educational approach. High/Scope is guided by active learning which allows children the choice to develop their own learning priorities based on their interests and abilities. Within this model, 5 older adult clients from the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) Seniors Day Program (Halton Branch) interacted with 5 pre-school children from the Sheridan Child Care Centre. Twelve sessions were conducted over a 6-week time period, and data was collected through both remote (web-casting) and participant observation. Although quantitative data that tracked physical interaction between children and older adults did not show a significant increase in intergenerational interaction, qualitative data indicated greater interaction with frequency of sessions. This study points to a need for further research into specific intergenerational activities and their impact on children, older adults with cognitive impairments and their families