Objective: The goal of this project was to develop a systematic framework through
which interventions promoting intergenerational solidarity in 11 countries could be
assessed. Background: Although intergenerational solidarity—the exchange of material,
social, and emotional support and care between family generations—benefits both the
country's economic well-being (macro-level) and the individual's physical, mental,
and social well-being (micro-level), decreasing intergenerational solidarity is evident
in many industrialized countries. Interventions promoting intergenerational solidarity
are increasingly being developed, but few are described in the literature. Moreover,
no unifying framework describing them exists. Method: Representatives from 11 countries
convened to identify interventions promoting intergenerational solidarity. After several
meetings, a unifying framework was created. Representatives selected a convenience
sample of programs and abstracted information based on the framework. Results: The
outcome of social well-being was virtually ubiquitous in most programs. Countries
appeared to take a broad view of intergenerational solidarity, focusing on interactions
among generations, rather than interactions within families. Discussion and Implications:
The framework enabled the systematic abstraction and assessment of programs. Most
programs had no standard method of evaluating their outcomes. Longitudinal evaluations
would be optimal if we want to identify the best practices in intergenerational solidarity
programs.
