Tellegacy: An Intergenerational Wellness and Health Promotion Project to Reduce Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: A Feasibility Study.

Emerging research demonstrates that social isolation and loneliness are linked to significant physical and mental health conditions. To address these concerns, the Tellegacy program was developed as an intergenerational health-promoting intervention to ameliorate older adult social isolation and loneliness in an effort to increase wellness. The purpose of this study was to reflect on testing of the Tellegacy program as a behavioral intervention. University students trained in goal setting, mindfulness, and listening strategies were paired with 11 older adults in the northern Midwest area via weekly in-person and phone conversations. Oral reminiscence therapies were used and books containing their stories were given to the older adults after participation. Older adults were surveyed using the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, Satisfaction of Life Scale, and patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale to elucidate the effectiveness of the intervention. Improved scores in loneliness, satisfaction of life, and PHQ-9 demonstrated favorable improvements in older adults. Additional benefits for the student Legacy Builder were revealed from self-reported changes. This suggests the potential benefits of structured encounters between trained students and isolated or lonely older adults. The Tellegacy intergenerational feasibility program warrants further studies to fully demonstrate its impact on health outcomes.

A New Interprofessional Community-Service Learning Program, HATS (Health Ambassador Teams for Seniors) to Improve Older Adults Attitudes about Telehealth and Functionality.

Senior population health often is underrepresented in curricula for medical and allied health students. Furthermore, entrenched and dense curricular schedules preclude interprofessional teams from clinical experiences related to senior population health. Community service learning potentially offers the opportunity to engage interprofessional students with a panel of older adults to assess health promotion metrics over time. To test this educational concept, we created Health Ambassador Teams for Seniors, also known as HATS. Utilizing a telehealth platform, interprofessional student teams were tasked with older adult wellness promotion. The annual Medicare wellness exam served as a template for patient encounters which was enhanced with key elements of geriatric assessment such as gait and balance, cognition, and functional evaluations. The objective was to have dyads of interprofessional students conduct telehealth visits and gather healthcare data to be used for serial patient encounters and track functional trajectories over time. As a proof of concept, pilot telehealth encounters with medical, physical therapy, nursing and occupational therapy students revealed that data on older adult functional performances such as gait speed, Timed Up and Go test (TUG), and Mini-Cog test could be acquired through telehealth. Equally importantly, trainees received diverse feedback from faculty, peers and volunteer patients. A Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) data repository allows trainees to track patient trends relative to their health promotion recommendations as well as handoff their patient panel to the next set of trainees. The HATS program promises to strengthen the Geriatric Workforce, especially with senior population health.