| The purpose of the present study was to explore the effect of participation in an intergenerational program with 4- and 5-year-old preschoolers on the life satisfaction of nursing home elderly.;This study employed a quasi-experimental design, supplemented by observations and interviews. A Pretest Posttest Nonequivalent Control-Group Design was used to investigate the effects of an intergenerational program on life satisfaction of nursing home elderly, using activity of daily living, locus of control, and self-esteem as covariates. Participant observations and interviews were used to explore relationships between each intergenerational dyad.;The sample was comprised of fifteen nursing home residents. Eight elderly subjects were randomly assigned to the experimental group and seven to the control group. Each subject in the experimental group was paired with a preschooler. Each dyad met two times a week for six weeks of a planned, structured intergenerational program.;Results showed no significant differences in life satisfaction of the nursing home residents as an effect of the intergeneration program. However, there was a significant relationship between activity of daily living, locus of control, self-esteem and psychosocial impact.;"Feel useful," "not too old to be a mentor," "can teach youngsters," and "am happy" were found as "Strongly Positive Indicators" from the Psychosocial Impact Questionnaire. in addition, residents stated that they enjoyed the program. They commented that interacting with young children made them feel like a grandma, helped them learn patience, enabled them to enjoy companionship, and made them feel useful information collected from interviews and observations supported the supposition that participants of the intergenerational program were impacted positively.;Future research could include conducting similar research using qualitative methods and developing an instrument to better measure "intergenerational satisfaction." Also, future studies may need to consider adapting their programs to help participants compensate for any individual differences that might affect their full participation. |
