Connecting Older Adults to the Community Through Multimedia: An Intergenerational Reminiscence Program

Reminiscence programs are believed to be beneficial for older adults; however, benefits may not be exclusively related to reminiscing but to group process. A reminiscence program for older adults aimed at intergenerational connection through multimedia is reported. This evaluation utilized three sources of data: participant's stories, focus groups conducted with group members, and responses from social networking websites along with blog readers. Overall, results show that participants benefited from the program by having a vehicle to tell their story and an activity that fulfilled social needs. Additionally, community members benefited from and learned about participants in a way that utilized efficient modes of communication and media. Findings support the intergenerationality of this program in that it was able to connect older adults with younger generations both in person and virtually.