SENIORS
Finding meaningful connection through the ages BY JARED McKIERNAN
Older adults who kept up meaningful connections with people from younger generations were three times as likely to be happy as those who did not.
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CARING 2023
ary had one question on his mind when staff at the Broomfield, Colorado, Silvercrest residence, came around. “When are the kids coming?” he asked. “I’ve got a whole stack of pictures for them.” The kids he’s referring to attend the elementary school across the street from the Silvercrest, one of 33 Salvation Army senior residences across the USA Western Territory. On their school breaks, the students come by and deliver art projects to the seniors at the Silvercrest. And in some cases, the seniors reciprocate with their own craftsy creations. Gary cuts up calendars and makes special collages to share with the students. It’s something he and the other seniors eagerly await. Programs like these allow Gary and other seniors at the Silvercrest to interact with people from other generations. And according to a wealth of research, it’s these very connections that allow both seniors and their younger counterparts to experience an increased sense of community, purpose and well-being. “Unfortunately, many of our seniors don’t have family access anymore,” said Wendi Bishop, then coordinator for both the Denver and Broomfield Silvercrest properties. “The corps officers, the other residents in the building, the community—we become their family.” Several studies have documented the impact of generativity, or investing in, caring for, and developing the next generation. One of them, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, began tracking more than 700 men in 1938 and continues to do so to this day. The most prevalent takeaway from the decades-long study: Relationships are the undeniable linchpin in well-being. Harvard psychiatrist George Vaillant, who led that study for over three decades, wrote in his book “Aging Well” about the importance of spanning the generations.
“In all three study cohorts, masters of generativity tripled the chances that the decade of the 70s would be for these men and women a time of joy and not of despair.” That’s right—older adults who kept up meaningful connections with people from younger generations were three times as likely to be happy as those who did not. It’s no wonder. When kids are young, they have adults around them, there to help them navigate life at every turn and show them how to engage with the world around them. But as people move through adulthood, that dynamic begins to flip. Those in the younger generations, particularly children, grandchildren and neighbors, begin to care for the older adults who brought them up—and, in a way, help them navigate a world in constant flux. As children, we need older, more mature people around us to share with us their sage wisdom and life experiences so that we might optimize our own life experiences. And as seniors, we need younger, vibrant individuals around us to help us stay active and engaged in our communities. As Jo Stephanie Francisco, Silvercrest Management, said, we all need each other at every stage of life. That’s why there’s no quantifying the true impact of programs that provide meaningful connections on both ends. “Intergenerational programs connect our senior residents to the community allowing young and old to learn about each other…which can enhance the outlook for both,” she said. “The seniors can provide their wisdom and knowledge. The young can provide up-to-date social and technological insights. It’s a mutual exchange of information. Our residents often request intergenerational programs because they love the exchange of ideas. The youth also love to hear about the seniors’ lives, their history and their experiences.”