Based on a survey of the Silver Human Resource Centers in Japan, this study compared the actual status of activities and operational issues of older residents in terms of the age of participants and forms of interaction. The staff members of the Silver Human Resources Centers were asked about the background of establishment, outline of activities, characteristics of participants, expertise and challenges of activities, and impact of activities on the community with regard to places where multiple generations, including the elderly, participate. The 211 cases analyzed were classified into four categories based on the age of the participants: elderly, elderly x minors, elderly x adults, and elderly x minors x adults, and their backgrounds, activities, and management issues were compared. The results showed that, compared to activities for the elderly, a higher percentage of minors engaged in volunteer activities, and a higher percentage of adults engaged in hobbies/cultural activities and employment-oriented activities. This result indicates that while activities with multi-generational participation can provide opportunities for care prevention to a wide variety of older people, the difficulty of obtaining funds and passing on know-how to continue such activities, as well as the lack of bearers, were identified as issues to be addressed.

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Surveys of participants’ attitudes on intergenerational exchange have been insufficient. This study aimed to understand the attitudes of participants. The Health Promotion Division of the Kanagawa Prefectural Government　hosted a project for older people and children to experience music and sports programs together from September to December 2019. The 312 adult participants completed anonymous self-administered questionnaires on their attitudes towards exchange. Most of the participants expected positive impacts from the exchanges, suggesting these activities may motivate participation. The most common expected effects of the activities for older people were “expressions of happiness,” while for children, they were “gaining respect for older people and a spirit of mutual support” and “improving communication skills.” Most of the older people were not reluctant to take part in the activities. Even those not living with their grandchildren sought many opportunities to interact with the children. While the COVID-19 pandemic affects these exchanges and reinvestigation is needed, these valuable data reflect the participants’ pre-pandemic awareness.

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[in Japanese]

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