Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify the association among the characteristics of pre-educational images of elder people (based on four viewpoints), contact situations with them (living-together history and frequency of conversations), and degree of interest in elderly care, targeting nursing students in Yutori-Generation, for the development of elderly care education based on the characteristics of the generation. We conducted an anonymous questionnaire survey and analyzed the responses from 180 students with text mining and statistical method. In the answers for "Typical images, seen and heard", the "Living together" group quoted the changes brought about by aging. On the other hand, many students in the "Never lived together" and the "With little conversation" groups held the images of conditions with diseases, impairments, and pains for elderly people. As for "Ideal images", the "Living together" group showed a tendency to focus on quality of life, however, most answers from the "Never lived together" group attached value to appearance and youthfulness. In the answers from the "living together in the past" and the "Never lived together" groups for "Undesirable images", a number of expressions which indicated negative feelings or emotions toward superficial words and deeds of elderly people were found. A majority of answers for "Meanings in the existence to you" indicated adoration and respect toward them. However a small number of students in the "With little conversation" and the "Never lived together" groups held the feeling of repulsion in getting old and rejection toward involvement with elderly people, and showed low interest in elderly care. These findings indicate that new educational environment and methods are required to cultivate critical thinking which is not influenced by mass media, create more occasions for interactions with elderly people through cooperation with local communities, and reconstruct images of old-age from the first-year at the university, based on the characteristics and living background of Yutori-Generation.
