How the ABC series Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds is changing lives – The ABC series Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds and Old People’s Home for Teenagers have had a notable impact in fostering social cohesion and inclusion in Australia, a new study has found, while raising awareness of the benefits of intergenerational practice.
A Griffith University research study has found the award-winning television series has been instrumental in public recognition of the social and health benefits of intergenerational practice.
The study’s lead researcher, Griffith University Associate Professor Katrina Radford, said the results were significant.
“What we found was that almost twice as many people who had viewed the series saw intergenerational practice as extremely important to society than those who had not seen the show,” she said. “It’s created new job opportunities, it’s created new funding opportunities, and it’s created new value to organisations.”
Intergenerational programs aim to build meaningful connections and relationships between two or more generations in order to address the consequences of decreased connections between age cohorts and the increased care responsibilities that come with an ageing population and “sandwiched” generations.
A unique social experiment bringing together elderly people in a retirement community with a group of four-year-olds, Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds has attracted millions of viewers since it debuted on the national broadcaster in 2019. Series two in 2021 went on to look at an intergenerational experiment in a community setting and the next iteration of the series in 2022 and 2023 paired teenagers and older people in Old People’s Home for Teenagers.
Communities across the country have been inspired by the series, creating their own intergenerational playgroups and programs.
The Herd, based on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, has taken the concept of intergenerational care to a whole new level:
“Without the ABC series, the ground swell for intergenerational practice in Australia would not be where it is today,”
– the report found.
“Furthermore, social enterprises would not have been as successful, and research globally would not have had the evidence base that is has created because of more researchers being attracted to the space.”
“These results demonstrate significant social impact that the ABC series have had on society in creating new career paths, assisting with accessing funding, improving the social connectedness of communities around Australia as well as improving attitudes to aging and intergenerational practice providers and facilitators.”
ABC Director of Content Jennifer Collins said,
“Through the commissioning of the Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds series, we tested a simple theory: could intergenerational connections have a profound effect on society and make a positive difference to our most vulnerable? We’re humbled by the impact of the series and the contribution we’ve been able to make across Australia as demonstrated by this Griffith University report.”
The report, Measuring the impact and influence of the ABC series on intergenerational practice in Australia, was launched last Friday at the Australian Institute of Intergenerational Practice Annual Conference in Sydney.
Media Release – ABC
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How the ABC series Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds is changing lives
