Treasure in Elderly Care Learning: A service-learning experience at a neighbourhood centre in Hong Kong

Abstract

Service-learning is a useful learning activity for students to understand and analyse the health and social conditions of elderly recipients. It offers a practical environment for the study of ageing. Students make the service-learning meaningful, by combining the course idea and concepts in the activity during service. Students enhance learning experience by finding an appropriate health suggestion to the elderly while investigating the health conditions of the elderly. Students enrich additional vision by designing effective activities for the elderly and explaining the course idea to the elderly. The elderly provide opinion in the activity and inspire students to have a better management for further life and service-learning. In this study, an experience of service learning in elderly home is described. It covers several themes: (a) preparation of service learning, (b) analysis of designed activities, (c) reflection on this service-learning, (d) comparison of in-class learning and service-learning.