Exploration of Interest and Development of Intergenerational Facilities in Pitt County

Abstract

Long-term care settings that provide eldercare and childcare can also be referred to as intergenerational facilities and are defined as such in the present paper. Intergenerational facilities can combat the loneliness and isolation that older residents experience. Despite documented benefits of intergenerational contact, there are no nursing homes in Pitt County that house a childcare center. Due to the projected increase of older adults in Pitt County, there will be a need for more long-term care options. The aims of the present study included: 1) Exploring the interest in having an intergenerational facility in Pitt County, and key benefits and challenges during its development, and 2) Propose key elements and considerations in developing an intergenerational facility based on interviews with Pitt County stakeholders. Using a basic qualitative interview approach, ten stakeholders were interviewed during spring 2021 by phone or virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The author was introduced to stakeholders by her faculty mentor, and snowball sampling was used to identify additional individuals to interview. Stakeholders were people in the aging or childcare communities, such as a nursing home activities director and director of a childcare facility. Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis process was used, including initial and descriptive coding (Saldaña, 2013). Three themes emerged from the qualitative data: concerns, considerations, and potential benefits of an intergenerational facility in Pitt County. Each theme included subthemes, with examples including: a need for education and environmental aspects (concerns), activities and architectural (considerations), and benefits to older adults and children. The findings suggest an interest in an intergenerational facility in Pitt County and its feasibility pending the implementation of stakeholders’ recommendations. Key elements of a potential intergenerational facility are proposed in addition to implications for future research and limitations of the present study.