Enhancing the Well-Being of Older Adults and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities Through an Intergenerational Community Garden

Loneliness and lack of purpose have a negative impact on well-being for young adults with developmental disabilities (DD) and older adults. Young adults with DD often lack meaningful relationships. While some aspects of well-being remain stable as a person ages, a sense of purpose may decline as life roles diminish. The purpose of this research was to discover ways enhance well-being in adults with DD and older adults through intergenerational interaction. A participatory action research approach was used with qualitative methods that included semi-structured interviews with four young adults with DD and five older adults. Participant observation and field notes were employed to enhance the rigor of the study. A community garden was the environment for intergenerational activities. Through thematic analysis of the data, five themes of well-being were constructed: engagement, positive relationships, accomplishment, meaning and purpose, and positive emotion with elements specific to adults with DD and older adults. The study revealed ways to enlist the wisdom and knowledge of older adults to enhance the well-being of young adults with DD and consequently enhance the well-being of the older adult as well. Implications of this study include employing social capital to improve well-being through synergistic relationships

Action (physics · Developmental psychology · Loneliness · Participatory action research · Qualitative research · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Well-being · Young adult · Aging and Gerontology Research · Family and Disability Support Research · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Urban Green Space and Health · Gerontology

• Qualitative interviewing

  Herbert J Rubin, Irene S Rubin•Qualitative interviewing•1995

  Incluir item

• Kurt Lewin and the Origins of Action Research

  Clem Adelman•Educational Action Research•1993

  Incluir item

• Participatory Action Research

  William Foote Whyte, William Whyte•Participatory action research•1991

  Incluir item

• Thematic Analysis

  Braun, Virginia Braun et al.•QMiP Bulletin•2022

  Incluir item

• Employment outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

  Open Access•Hussain A Almalky•Children and Youth Services Review•2020

  Incluir item

• Intergenerational preschool experiences and the young child

  Open Access•Elia E Femia, Steven H Zarit et al.•Early Childhood Research Quarterly•2007

  Incluir item

• Action Research and Minority Problems

  Open Access•Kurt Lewin•Journal of Social Issues•1946

  Incluir item

• Using thematic analysis in psychology

  Open Access•Braun, Virginia Braun et al.•Qualitative Research in Psychology•2006

  Incluir item

• Naturalistic inquiry

  Open Access•Yvonna S Lincoln, Egon G Guba et al.•International Journal of…•1985

  Incluir item

• Come On, Let's Try Together

  Wolfgang Strotmann•Journal of Intergenerational…•2012

  Incluir item

• A Step-by-Step Process of Thematic Analysis to Develop a Conceptual Model in Qualitative Research

  Open Access•Muhammad Naeem, Wilson Ozuem et al.•International Journal of…•2023

  Incluir item

• Now I see it, now I don't

  Open Access•Roni Berger•Qualitative Research•2015

  Incluir item