Practices of Remote Intergenerational Exchange between Elderly Residents of Apartment Complexes and University Students in the COVID-19 Epidemic

Abstract

Due to the impact of COVID-19, activities and interactions in the community are limited. In order to revitalize the senior housing complex, we conducted a remote intergenerational exchange program between a university classroom and a senior housing complex meeting place via Zoom application, which allows the connection between each other on the web. For the local elderly who participated in the exchange, it was an opportunity to participate in activities and interact with people close to their homes; for the students, it was an opportunity to learn from actual situations, under the circumstance they were restricted from practical training and volunteer activities. As a result of a questionnaire survey of 61 elderly people and 41 students who participated in the program, the level of satisfaction about this program was high. Students were able to communicate without sign of nervousness, and the elderly, who are less likely to interact with others, were able to participate near their homes. On the other hand, there were some issues such as difficulty in hearing voices and understanding facial expressions and reactions. Remote interaction will become more familiar with the advancement of information and communication technology in the future. This study suggests the possibility of practices such as crossregional interaction and primary prevention in remote areas.