An Evaluation of an Age-Friendly Intergenerational Service-Learning Programme on a University Campus

Abstract

With the ageing of the global population, universities internationally are increasing their efforts to become age-friendly institutions. This paper describes an intergenerational service-learning project that focused on the co-design and delivery of Age-Friendly University workshops with, and for, older adults in local communities. Older adults were defined as those who were over 65 years of age or those who identified as older adults. The service-learning partnership involved undergraduate occupational therapy students from the University of Galway and older adults living in Galway city. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of the older adult participants who attended the age-friendly, intergenerational workshops on university campus. The workshops’ content and structure were co-designed by students and older adult advisors recruited from the community. Workshops were carried out over three weeks. Data was collected from participants (n = 54) using a self-developed survey. Quantitative data produced descriptive statistics. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. Overall, the older adults reported that attending the workshops was a positive, educational and social experience. Participants greatly valued the intergenerational and peer interactions. The results also highlighted important challenges experienced by the older adults while on campus and areas for improvement in planning future projects.