Skip to main content
GSA 2024 Main banner
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Back
Symposium

Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education

A Look at Student Caregiving Experiences: Opportunities for Campuses and Communities

Friday, November 15, 2024
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST
Location: Room 608
CE: 1.5

Caregiving in the United States continues to be a significant and growing phenomenon that warrants ongoing exploration of ways to support caregivers. Further examining the impact that intergenerational connections and age-inclusive practices have on the caregiving experience can help inform ways for both campuses and communities to be more responsive to caregiver needs. This symposium features participants representing universities that have capitalized on the Age-Inclusivity in Higher Education (AIHE) model to generate new and creative forms of caregiver support and intergenerational connections. These research endeavors represent the distinct ways that the AIHE model can be utilized to recognize and respond to the diverse needs of caregivers on campus and in the community. Terhune/Graf/Manning (Northern Kentucky University) will discuss mixed-methods data on student caregivers and how this knowledge has informed new student caregiving initiatives both on campus and with community partners. Hawes (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire) will present a synthesis of intergenerational programs conducted in nursing homes between 2020 and 2024. Drawing from 25 student applied projects in select facilities, the research aims to identify best practices and challenges with implementing intergenerational efforts in nursing homes. Elfenbein (University of North Georgia) will present information about ACAPcommunity and ACAP Hall County, bringing students and community caregivers together to learn about caregiving issues and resources, and support one another on the caregiving journey. Graf/Baker/Bartlett (Northern Kentucky University) will elaborate on different ways that caregiving experience may associate with outlooks on caregiving, personal aging and health by comparing current, former, and indirect caregivers.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the significance and scope of caregiving in the United States by examining current trends and data, focusing on the growing need for caregiver support.
  • Describe the impact of intergenerational connections and age-inclusive practices on the caregiving experience, exploring how these factors can inform more responsive support systems for caregivers within both university campuses and broader communities.
  • Explain the importance of applying the Age-Inclusivity in Higher Education (AIHE) model as a framework for developing innovative caregiver support initiatives, drawing insights from specific case studies such as the mixed-methods research conducted by presenters, and identifying strategies for implementing similar approaches in diverse campus and community settings.

Presentations:

  • 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST
    Responding to the Diverse Needs of Student Caregivers: Recommendations for Campuses and Community Partnerships

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Katherina Nikzad-Terhune, PhD, LCSW (she/her/hers) – Northern Kentucky University

  • 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST
    Student-Led Intergenerational Programs in Nursing Homes

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Frances Hawes, PhD (she/her/hers) – University of Wisconsin Eau Claire

  • 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST
    Creating an Intergenerational Community of Caregivers

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Pamela H. Elfenbein, MSW, PhD, FAGHE, HS-BCP – University of North Georgia

  • 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM PST
    A Comparison of Direct and Indirect Student Caregivers on Outlooks Related to Caregiving and Self

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Allyson S. Graf, PhD (she/her/hers) – Northern Kentucky University