Designing for Intergenerational Communication among Older Adults: A Systematic Inquiry in Old Residential Communities of China’s Yangtze River Delta

Abstract

Presently, a substantial majority of older individuals in urban regions of China prefer to inhabit older residential communities over newer counterparts. Within these aging communities, the intricate matter of intergenerational communication among older adults presents a complex and multifaceted issue that warrants comprehensive investigation from a systematic perspective. This paper first employs the observational method to study multiple old residential communities in a city in the Yangtze River Delta region of China. The POEMS framework and the AEIOU framework are applied, focusing on the analysis of individuals and the interaction between individuals and objects, respectively. Semistructured interviews are then conducted with three groups of people, emphasizing community participation by older adults, intergenerational interaction from the perspective of older adults, and intergenerational interaction from the perspective of young people. Finally, the paper categorizes the types and characteristics of individuals in the old communities, identifying the intersections between these groups. The current social situation of older adults and young people is summarized, including behavioral and psychological characteristics and social interaction challenges. Based on these findings, ten system design directions to enhance intergenerational interaction in old communities are proposed, and three of these system design directions are further developed.