Communication across the generations: Developing age sensitivity training for volunteers working with older adults.

摘要

Our society is rapidly aging. With the anticipated demographic shift, there will be a high demand for individuals working with older adults. This may be in professional situations or through volunteer work. Unfortunately, modern society has a less than complimentary view of age and aging. We are surrounded by negative images and stereotypes regarding older adults, which in turn affect our behavior and communication with older adults. Intergenerational contact can be riddled with frustration and misunderstanding. The best way to alleviate this problem and create successful intergenerational interactions is through education and awareness. This project researched a variety of age and communication issues. From this research, a series of training modules were created in order to train retirement community volunteers in the most relevant age and communication issues for their work. The end result of the training hopes to create healthy and successful relationships between the volunteers and the older adults. This training was designed for a volunteer program at a specific retirement community but the implications and the content can be expanded to a variety of contexts and environments.