Intergenerational engagement among older people in the long-term care facility in China: a mixed-methods study...

The ageing population in China is rapidly increasing, placing a growing demand on long-term care facilities. While these facilities provide basic medical care and daily living support, there are mounting concerns about the mental and overall well-being of older people. Intergenerational engagement, which involves interactions between older and younger generations, could be a potential solution to enhance the well-being of older people in long-term care settings. However, there is a noticeable gap in empirical evidence supporting its effects in China, especially within long-term care facilities context.

Our study employs an embedded mixed-methods design, integrating quantitative measures with qualitative insights, to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a 5-week intergenerational engagement intervention in a long-term care facility in China. Quantitative data will include recruitment, retention, attendance and scale completion rates, using descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests to compare preintervention and postintervention outcomes. Qualitative data will be gathered through individual interviews with older participants and focus groups with staff and young people and will be analysed thematically to explore themes related to intervention acceptability. Integration will be undertaken at the interpretation stage, where findings from both components will be compared and synthesised to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the intervention.

The study received approval from the Ethical Review Committee of the University of Birmingham (ERN_1775-Jul2024). Relevant local ethical approval was also obtained from the Ethics Committee of Guangzhou Furuixin Senior Apartment in China, approved in July 2024. The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and shared through presentations at relevant conferences and meetings.

ISRCTN14922432.