Intergenerational interactions: conceptions of an academic group on human aging and its implications

Abstract

The present research is the result of an extension project developed in a Long Stay Institution for the Elderly (LSIEs) located in the city of Bagé, state of Rio Grande do Sul, which has as general objective to reflect on the approach in between of young students and residents of the elderly, from the monitoring of activities in these institutions. In order to do this, to soften and understand this reality, we sought to point out some paths developed by a group of academics from the Pedagogy course of a public university, volunteers/participants of said project. Therefore, this research was characterized as a qualitative research, whose data were collected during a year, using  as instrument a reflexive diary produced by the students. The interventions occurred two times a week, with two-hour sessions each, with the accompaniment of activities with elderly residents. The activities were varied, such as: music, reading, rhythmic, cognitive, motor, various body practices, many with the use of digital technological resources. After the sessions the students in order to expose their feelings and perceptions regarding that reality, produced reflective diary. For purposes of analysis, excerpts from the diaries of four academics, out of a total of twelve, were selected to develop the activities. In this research, we highlight the relevant participation of academics in actions such as this one, given that it constitutes a space for intervention for intergenerational work and for the deconstruction of prejudices regarding the aging process and its limitations, resulting in benefits for participants.