Death and Grief in Intergenerational Service-Learning: An Exploration from the Lives Well Lived Program

Abstract

ABSTRACT Intergenerational service-learning offers many benefits to undergraduate college students but can pose challenges too. One potential challenge is if an older adult participant dies during the program. Currently, there is a lack of literature providing guidance to instructors about how to proceed when such an event occurs. This article provides an example of such an event from the Lives Well Lived program and applies information from the grief literature to offer recommendations for instructors on how to plan for such an incident, and how to respond if an older adult dies during a service-learning program.