Intergenerational Esthetic Co-Creation Program for Promotion of Community Creative Aging

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Community Development
• Arts and Aesthetics

Background:

• Global aging societies necessitate innovative approaches to elderly well-being.
• Existing research lacks focus on esthetics for community creative aging (CA) in Taiwan.
• The Hushan community was chosen to explore esthetic co-creation for CA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the application of esthetics in promoting community CA in Taiwan.
• To construct a model for applying intergenerational esthetic co-creation (IEC) workshops to foster CA.
• To investigate the psychological impacts and social interactions within IEC workshops for the elderly.

Main Methods:

• Action research approach was employed in multi-stage intergenerational esthetic co-creation (IEC) workshops.
• Focus on community-based CA initiatives.
• Data collection on elderly participants' experiences and interactions.

Main Results:

• Community CA initiatives, through IEC workshops, helped elderly participants identify their values.
• Explored psychological impacts and peer/youth interactions among the elderly.
• Developed a practical model for applying IEC workshops to promote CA.

Conclusions:

• Intergenerational esthetic co-creation (IEC) offers a novel pathway for promoting creative aging (CA).
• The developed model provides a framework for sustainable elderly social care.
• This research opens new possibilities for aging societies through esthetic engagement.