What Makes Aging Programs Last? Hong Kong Study Finds Key Ingredients
A three-year study of intergenerational programs in Hong Kong reveals which organizational factors determine whether community health initiatives survive beyond their initial funding. The findings offer a roadmap for nonprofits and policymakers trying to scale aging interventions that deliver measurable cognitive and social benefits.
Originaltitel: Evaluating the sustainability of a three-year community-based intergenerational project in Hong Kong: a longitudinal mixed methods study from the perspective of service providers
**Intergenerationella program håller värdet — men kräver långsiktig planering** Äldre som umgås regelbundet med yngre visar bättre kognitiv funktion och psykiskt mående. En treårig studie från Hongkong avslöjar dock att sådana program är svåra att upprätthålla utan rätt organisation. Forskarna följde 28 arbetsledare och personal vid tre ideella organisationer och mätte programimens hållbarhet via ett standardiserat verktyg. Hållbarhetspoängen var stabila över tre år (5,2–5,7 av 10), men tre områden skapade konsistent problem: samarbete mellan organisationer, långsiktig strategisk planering och finansiering. Organisationens interna kapacitet och tydlig resultatuppföljning verkade däremot stödjande. För äldreomsorgsföretagare och kommuner är budskapet klart: intergenerationella satsningar fungerar — men kräver skriftliga överenskommelser, stabil finansiering och driftledning från dag ett. Utan det försvinner effekten när finansiering eller personal växlar. Linköpings universitet var medverkande institution.
<p>Background and objectivesIntergenerational programmes improve older adults' cognitive, emotional, social, and health outcomes. However, their long-term sustainability remains unclear, which is important for ongoing effectiveness. This study aimed to evaluate the sustainability of a three-year community-based intergenerational project and the underlying facilitators and barriers from service providers' perspectives.Research design and methods.A longitudinal, mixed-methods approach was applied. The Program Sustainability Assessment Tool (PSAT), consisting of eight domains, was used to assess the project's sustainability capacity, which is the ability of a programme to maintain its operations, benefits and impacts over time. Barriers and facilitators in PSAT domains were determined by the mean value of each domain. Semi-structured interviews were further administered to identify implementation determinants. A total of 28 managerial and front-line staff responsible for the programme were recruited from three local non-profit organisations. They completed baseline and three rounds PSAT survey and three focus-group interviews across the three-year project. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were conducted for quantitative and qualitative data, respectively.ResultsThe total sustainability scores during the three-year implementation of the programme were 5.16 +/- 0.65 in baseline, 5.66 +/- 0.54 in Year 1, 5.62 +/- 0.67 in Year 2, and 5.18 +/- 0.48 in Year 3. Domains as consistent facilitators across the three-year implementation were organisational capacity and programme evaluation, while domains as consistent barriers were partnerships and strategic planning. Environmental support, funding stability, programme adaptation, and communications were found as mixed impacts during three years of implementation.Discussion and implicationsService providers perceived the overall sustainability of the community-based intergenerational programme as acceptable. Fluctuations in sustainability reflected the life cycle of the programme. Factors affecting the long-term implementation are common practical issues for community-based programme and need to be addressed, especially in the aspects of funding stability, partnerships, and strategic planning, as well as those specific to intergenerational relationship and communication.</p>