{
  "id": 11292707,
  "title": "Bridging generations: Early findings suggest shared spaces may benefit both children and nursing home residents",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/bridging-generations-early-findings-suggest-shared-spaces-may-benefit",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-01T22:20:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-10-bridging-generations-early-spaces-benefit.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Logan Intergenerational Family Education Center, a unique facility in northwest Kansas, brings together elementary school children and residents of the Logan Manor nursing home within the same building. This innovative setup has allowed researchers from Kansas State University to study the effects of intergenerational interaction on both age groups.\n\nOn the first day of school, the children were eager to visit their new \"best friends\" at the nursing home. The senior residents, in turn, found themselves excited to interact and help the younger ones with their studies. Teresa McComb, the administrator of Logan Manor, observed that the presence of children seemed to lift the spirits of everyone involved.\n\nResearchers from various disciplines have been observing the center's impact. Laci Cornelison, director of K-State's Center on Aging, noted that the interdisciplinary nature of the project has allowed for a comprehensive understanding of the outcomes. Heather Bailey, an associate professor of psychological sciences, and her team analyzed data from 30 nursing home residents, finding that residents' cognitive functioning remained stable, symptoms of depression decreased, and their independence in daily activities increased over the year.\n\nThe physical environment of the nursing home also plays a crucial role in fostering these connections. Migette Kaup, professor of interior design, and her team evaluated the building and found that it supports residents' quality of life through features like building layout, residential character, and autonomy. Connecting hallways between the nursing home and the elementary school enable residents to visit classrooms without leaving the building.\n\nMeanwhile, Natalie Barlett, a teaching assistant professor of psychological sciences, is studying the social-emotional development of the elementary students through the intergenerational experiences. Her team has found increases in empathy, attitudes toward older adults, and feelings of relatedness, autonomy, and competence. The students' standardized reading and math scores have also improved during the first year of data collection.\n\nThis unique project has provided valuable research opportunities for K-State undergraduate students, who have contributed to the development of research instruments, data collection, and analysis. The collaborative efforts have led to presentations at various conferences and a greater sense of responsibility among the students for their research.\n\nAs the project enters its next phase, researchers plan to track longitudinal outcomes and refine their measures of intergenerational interactions. The findings thus far suggest that shared spaces can create meaningful connections, improve the well-being of both children and senior residents, and enrich the overall quality of life within the nursing home.",
  "summary": "It was the first day of school, and the kids at the Logan Intergenerational Family Education Center were not going to wait a second longer. Normally, the hordes of elementary schoolers would take turns chattering down the hallway to meet and visit their best friends—the senior-citizen residents of the Logan Manor nursing home—during breakfast.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}