IMPLEMENTING A VIRTUAL, AGE-FRIENDLY INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAM

• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igac059.1411
• Publication Date: 2022-12-20T18:18:10Z
• Authors: Tina Newsham; Elizabeth Fugate-...; Natalie Quinn; Sky Bergman
• Keywords: Social Connectedness

Abstract As the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) seeks to become more age-friendly and stakeholders pursue endorsement Age-Friendly principles, a virtual intergenerational mentoring project was implemented. The aim connect community’s older adults, including retired faculty, with current students. Older adults students were paired asked engage in series conversations, watch documentary, attend Q&A filmmaker. goals improve social connectedness well-being, expectations regarding aging for members both groups, decrease ageism. Impacts assessed through Expectations Regarding Aging scale prior any interactions between partners again at end along an open-ended questionnaire about their experiences. improved on 75% items, participants indicated qualitatively that experiences positive.