Staying Connected During COVID-19: An Intergenerational Approach

Overview: Social Isolation & Loneliness Intergenerational Intervention Program (SLIP) is an 8-week intergenerational, reminiscence therapy intervention. The intent of the intervention is to develop intergenerational dialogue between the MSW and BSW students to decrease loneliness among older adult participants and introduce students to working with older adult populations.Proposal text:

Introduction: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 25% of older adults were socially isolated and 40% experienced loneliness, conditions exacerbated by the pandemic (Cudjoe, 2020). The UConn School of Social Work created the Social Isolation & Loneliness Intergenerational Intervention Program (SLIP) in response to this heightened need. Research indicated that reminiscence therapy can help older adults make sense of their lives and avoid despair (Anderson & Weber, 2015), critically important during a pandemic when older adults’ personal networks have been severely disrupted.
Methodology: SLIP was developed utilizing a community-based participatory, mixed-methods approach. Diverse stakeholders and community members from agencies who served older adults were involved in all phases of program development. These same personnel were also key informants who identified the older adult participants (Nf 40). BSW and MSW students (Nf9) participated in the program and were paired with older adults. Students utilized life review therapy techniques and reminiscence therapy, both known to be effective mental health interventions in later life (Chung 2008; Korte et. al. 2012). The intervention was eight weeks long, with participants being able to choose if they wanted to continue for an additional eight weeks. The UCLA loneliness short version was used (Hughes et al., 2004) to measure loneliness and implemented at pre-intervention, at the end of eight weeks, and at the end of 16 weeks if applicable. An investigative method was used to formatively evaluate the program, first starting with the evidence-based intervention, then the larger system/environment, the organizations, the group/team, the individual, and finally evaluating the outcomes from all aspects (Proctor et. al 2009). In-depth individual qualitative interviews (Nf12) were conducted with the paired participants and students using a predetermined interview guide with open-ended, semi structured questions and probes for additional information. Interviews were recorded and transcribed using NVivo software.

Results: Scores on the UCLA loneliness scale indicated that 25% of older adult participants had decreased feelings of loneliness. Additionally, 50% of these participants continued for a second round of the intervention, with the most common reason being the strong relationship developed between student and older adult. The results of the qualitative interviews indicated that participants reported reduced anxiety, stress, and loneliness through increased social engagement, reduced loneliness for students, and that reminiscence/life review techniques helped to develop intergenerational connections. Three broad themes emerged throughout the qualitative interviews:1) impact of intergenerational relationships on breaking age-related stereotypes 2) impact of SLIP program participation on the process of becoming a social worker; and 3) reducing concerns about the impact of the pandemic on health and well-being.

Conclusions The students gained training in an under appreciated and underutilized arena – working with older adults - and developed as social worker and learned life lessons in the process. For the older adults, the program helped to mitigate loneliness and provided much needed connection. The SLIP Program is an example of a replicable stand-alone virtual field unit that can help decrease isolation in older adults and at the same time, enrich students’ clinical experiences that inform developing social work identities.