RESEARCH

Within the scope of the Social Work with Community course conducted by the Department of Social Work at Istanbul Nişantaşı University's Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, a social responsibility project titled "Intergenerational Solidarity with the Elderly" was carried out by 3rd-year Social Work students Beyza Öztürk, Asiye Tekin, Zehra Özel, and Betül Saraç, under the supervision of the course instructor Assist. Prof. Dr. Dilek Özsoy. The project encompassed volunteer activities carried out over a period of five weeks at Darülaceze, one of Istanbul's long-established care institutions.

The main purpose of the project was to support the cognitive, motor, and social skills of elderly individuals, strengthen intergenerational solidarity, and provide social work students with hands-on professional experience. Before the project, meetings were held with social workers at Darülaceze, information was gathered on the institution's operations and residents' needs, and rehabilitation centers were visited so that activities could be planned in line with these needs. This process demonstrated the importance of inter-institutional cooperation, professional communication, and needs-based intervention planning.

Within the scope of the project, various social, cognitive, and recreational activities were organized with attention to the preferences and participation rights of elderly individuals. In conversations held especialy around May 19th Youth and Sports Day, residents shared memories of past holidays, thereby supporting cognitive function through the reminiscence method. Walking activities held after the memory-sharing sessions contributed to maintaining physical mobility and motor skills.

As part of handicraft and recycling work carried out at the rehabilitation centers, baskets woven from recycled newspaper were painted together with the residents. The active participation of elderly individuals in the production process supported their hand-eye coordination and strengthened their sense of productivity. These activities concretely demonstrated the contribution of the ergotherapy approach to psychosocial well-being and the importance of active aging.

Backgammon and various social games held throughout the project supported attention, strategic thinking, and social interaction skills, while contributing to the development of trust-based and warm relationships between the students and elderly individuals. In addition, life-experience conversations were held with elderly individuals around questions such as "What would I do if I were 20 again?" and "What advice would I give to young people?", leading to meaningful reflections on life's core values such as education, health, honesty, and career choice. Through these exchanges, students had the opportunity to develop their empathetic listening skills while experiencing the life-cycle perspective in practice.

At the end of the project, it was observed that intergenerational interaction supported both the social participation and psychosocial well-being of elderly individuals and the professional knowledge and skills of social work students. This once again demonstrated that volunteer-based social work practices are an important tool contributing to the welfare of the elderly.