ARU Research Report 2019

12 The Up Project This research was developed by researchers at the Positive Ageing Research Institute (PARI) in collaboration with All Saint’s Primary School and Longfields Care Home. This collaborative relationship was essential to facilitate and inform the approach taken to capture the experiences of older adults and children engaging in intergenerational interactions and activities, as part of the Up project. Aims & Research Questions For Children Aim: To explore the experiences of children and teaching staff taking part in the Up project. Research questions: What were the initial challenges in implementing the project and how were these managed? What are the benefits for children in taking part, from the perspective of children and teaching staff? How do any benefits relate to the Shine curriculum and community ambitions of the school? What challenges or disadvantages are encountered by the children in taking part? For Older Adults & Care Home Aims: To explore the experiences of older adults in taking part in the Up project. To explore the impact of the Up project to the care home environment and staff. Research Questions: What are the benefits for older adults in taking part, from the perspective of relatives and care home staff? What is the impact of the Up project to the care home environment and staff? What challenges or disadvantages are encountered by older adults in taking part, from the perspective of relatives and care home staff? More Widely Aim: To consider what learning can be taken from the project and any findings. Research Questions: What can other care homes and schools learn about intergenerational programmes from the Up Project? How can this learning inform recommendations for the implementation of intergenerational programmes? What we Did This research used interviews and focus groups to explore the experiences of those involved in the Up project. To capture the experiences of children, focus groups have been carried out and teaching staff have taken part in interviews. To explore the experiences of older adults, their relatives and care home staff responsible for their daily care have been interviewed. Older adults themselves were not included in this research at this time, given that due to memory and cognitive impairment many older adults at this care home no longer have capacity to provide informed consent. Also, given the focus of this research on experiences it is likely that older adults would need to refer to recent memories made during the children’s visits, which some older adults may find challenging. Researching the Up Project