Intergenerational Interaction Program for Nursing Home Residents and Nursing Students

This pilot randomized controlled trial aims to examine the effect of a 6-week intergenerational interaction program, conducted between older adults living in a nursing home and nursing students, on joy of life and loneliness in older adults and on ageism in nursing students. Older adults living in Istanbul Darülaceze will be randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. In the intervention group, each older adult will be paired with a nursing student, and the same pair will meet once a week for about 2 hours over 6 weeks. The pairs will jointly decide on activities such as games (e.g., backgammon, dominoes, puzzles), reading and cultural sharing, creative work (e.g., drawing, collage, life-story albums), and sharing skills and experiences. Each session will end with a structured, mutual reflection. Older adults in the control group will continue their usual daily routine and will be offered the same program after the study ends, if they wish. Joy of life and loneliness in older adults, and ageism in nursing students, will be measured before and after the program.

Inclusion Criteria: Older adults: * Aged 65 years or older * Living in Istanbul Darülaceze nursing home * Cognitive status assessed by the institution with the Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination, and approved by the institution for participation * Able to communicate verbally (adequate hearing and speech) * No acute health problem that would physically prevent participation in the program (determined by a preliminary assessment of walking and hand use/fine motor skills) * Providing voluntary informed consent (for participants with cognitive limitations, consent from a legal representative together with the participant's verbal/behavioral assent) Nursing students: * Enrolled in the Department of Nursing, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University * Volunteering to participate and committing to attend the 6-week program * Agreeing to attend a brief pre-program training on aging and communication Exclusion Criteria: Older adults: * Persistent refusal or marked agitation * Acute or unstable medical condition, including current hospitalization * Physical or medical condition preventing participation in games/activities * Severe visual or hearing loss that completely prevents communication Nursing students: \- No additional exclusion criteria