Background
As part of the effort to make Austin more inclusive for residents of all ages and abilities, LBJ students have worked with support from the St. David’s Foundation and Central Health since 2016 to assess the viability and need for developing a comprehensive senior wellness center in central Austin. In April 2018, the LBJ School team submitted a bond development proposal to establish an intergenerational senior center at the RBJ Health Center (RBJ) with medical and wraparound services. Feedback from Austin Public Health (APH) underscored concerns about allocating public resources to this project given that a clinic partner had not been secured and that best-use of the RBJ Health Center had not been comprehensively examined. The feedback resulted in the adoption of Austin City Council Resolution number 20181018-041 on October 18, 2018, which directed the City Manager to determine the process for developing a senior care center at the City-owned RBJ Public Health Center or other potential City-owned facilities.
In May 2019, Austin Public Health and LBJ School students recommended in the Resolution 41 Report (2019) to conduct a pilot feasibility study for the multigenerational program model. Based off these recommendations, the City of Austin reserved Austin City Council approval to select the property for the Intergenerational Day Center and ancillary service and programs. Over this summer, the LBJ team conducted a follow-up study to examine intergenerational models that exemplify best practices and create a prototype for an intergenerational day center for the City of Austin. The Intergenerational Day Center Initiative in Austin Issue Brief (2019) found that Intergenerational Day Centers (IDC) are effective at providing easy access to health and social services for residents of multiple generations.
Project Description
During the Spring 2020 semester, students will build off past LBJ student research to plan a demonstration pilot of an Intergenerational Day Center care center in the City of Austin. The pilot intervention will be based on best practice program models that increase engagement between older adults with dementia as well as pre-school age children through mentoring activities. The lesson plans will be grounded in the Montessori method and designed for teaching cognitive skills to both seniors and young children.
Over the course of the semester, students will:
Plan start-up and operational logistics for the Intergenerational Day Center pilot, including securing operational partners, choosing pilot program site, and planning program curriculum based on findings from the IDC Brief
Design rigorous evaluation plan for pilot study, including selecting indicators of operational success based on leading health, economic, and social research, and creating systems for monitoring pilot outcomes
Create detailed program budget including capital and operational costs
Conduct a formal market penetration survey for the Intergenerational Day Center