None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Our ageing population alongside job-related migration has resulted in reduced interaction between grandparents and grandchildren. Increasing evidence suggests that structured intergenerational interaction can mutually benefit community-dwelling older adults and young children. Two community-based sites (St Nicolas’ Anglican Church and St Augustine’s Anglican Church) and associated preschools (St. Nics’ Christian Preschool) in Coogee and (Neutral Bay Preschool) in Neutral Bay are partnering with researchers to evaluate a co-designed intergenerational programme targeted at preschool children and local older adults. This programme will utilise the church hall and preschool facilities based in the local communities. This research is essential/significant because, despite growing public interest (as shown by our pilot work (Kenning et al., 2021), there is almost no empirical evidence to support the anticipated benefits of community-based intergenerational initiatives (Peters et al., 2o21). Our research takes important first steps in evaluating the impact of an intergenerational programme on preschool children and community-dwelling older adults. By doing so, we will be able to estimate the effect sizes needed to power a definitive follow on trial across multiple sites. We have recently completed a small pilot project that showed an appetite for such research in the community and provided initial data on acceptability, allowing us to refine our intervention and delivery of the intergenerational practice program.
Interventions
The INTERgeneAtional Clinical-Trial In at-risk Older-adults and pre-school childreN (INTERACTION) is a two-site internal pilot trial to understand whether a community-based Intergenerational Practice (I-P) in preschool children and at-risk older adults is likely to be efficacious in reducing transition to frailty. This will be a 10-week trial of intergenerational practice at one site compared to a contemporaneous wait-list control at another site.
The I-P intervention consists of 10 weekly 2 h
The INTERgeneAtional Clinical-Trial In at-risk Older-adults and pre-school childreN (INTERACTION) is a two-site internal pilot trial to understand whether a community-based Intergenerational Practice (I-P) in preschool children and at-risk older adults is likely to be efficacious in reducing transition to frailty. This will be a 10-week trial of intergenerational practice at one site compared to a contemporaneous wait-list control at another site. The I-P intervention consists of 10 weekly 2 hour sessions that will be delivered in church or community hall settings close to the participating pre-school sites. Each session brings together 10 children from the affiliated pre-school and 12 older adults from the local community. The nature of the Early Years Learning Framework and the importance of engaging both older adults and children mean that there is some flexibility as to the chosen activities. Each session must include at least one physical, one cognitive and one social activity, but the main focus may vary depending on the participants' preferences. The sessions include multi-modal intergenerational activities targeting physical, cognitive function and mood, and are tailored to the Early-Years Learning Framework. The activities are designed specifically for this study. Examples of activities include dancing, dress-up and role play and storytelling. Sessions will be delivered by trained and experienced child educators supported by research staff familiar with working with older adults. All adults participating in or supporting the sessions are required to have a current working with children check.
Sponsors
Neuroscience Research Australia
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
3 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria for the older adults include: • aged 65 or over • with a baseline Montreal Cognitive Assessment score of 22 or more • with a baseline frailty assessment within the pre-frail range on the FRAIL scale • residing in the community (may be receiving aged-care but not residential nursing care) • able to travel to the study site • able to sit and stand from a chair with arms • able to walk 6m with or without a walking aid • fluent in English • fully vaccinated against COVID-19 • who have provided informed consent to the video recording of interactions during the intergenerational sessions Inclusion criteria for the children include: • aged 3-5, and attending the preschool at the study site or an affiliated preschool • fully toilet trained • are able to follow instructions • who have provided verbal assent and who’s parents have provided informed consent to their participation and to them being video recorded during the intergenerational sessions
Exclusion criteria
Key exclusion criteria for the older adults include: • has speech or sensory deficits that prevent interaction • does not have an up to date/valid working with children check Key exclusion criteria for the children include: • has challenging behaviors that may affect their ability to participate in the program
Outcome results
None listed