The Effects of the Connecting all Generations Through the Gerontech (CARETech) Program on Motivating Young People to Enter the Elderly Care Sector

This study aims to organize an intergenerational program to provide unemployed young people with operational skills related to gerontechnology and the experience required to deliver digital outreach rehabilitation services to community-dwelling older people. A quasi-experimental research design was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of adolescent health 2024-08
Main Authors: Wong, Arkers Kwan Ching, Bayuo, Jonathan, Wong, Ho Yi, Chow, Karen Kit Sum, Wong, Siu Man, Wong, Bonnie Bo, Liu, Bob Chung Man, Lau, David Chi Ho, Kowatsch, Tobias
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Gaming intervention
Gerontechnology
Intergeneration
Motion
Young
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Summary:This study aims to organize an intergenerational program to provide unemployed young people with operational skills related to gerontechnology and the experience required to deliver digital outreach rehabilitation services to community-dwelling older people. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted. The young participants received a 12-session training program on the management of common chronic diseases, communication with older people, the functions and use of interactive games, and techniques to teach and match interactive games with older people. The perception of elderly outcomes (i.e., knowledge and attitude toward elderly care, willingness to care for the elderly), personal outcomes (i.e., life satisfaction, self-efficacy), and desired vocational outcomes (i.e., hours worked in the nongovernmental organization’s center, hours spent with older people) were evaluated preprogram and postprogram. Fifty-one young people joined the program. A statistically significant improvement was seen from preprogram to postprogram in their willingness to care for the elderly (p = .016) and life satisfaction (p = .005), as well as in the number of hours that they spent in the community center volunteering or engaged in social services for older people. The findings proved that the program could improve the willingness of young people to care for older people, as well as improve their own life satisfaction. Using gerontechnology can serve to bridge the intergenerational gap and bring benefits to both young adults and older people. It may provide policy makers with a way to address the manpower shortage in elderly care services and help frail older people to age in place.
ISSN:1054-139X
1879-1972
1879-1972
DOI:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.06.015