HCA 504 Module 3 Case Study Summary: Intergenerational Approaches to Caregiving Example

Reviewed by Emmett Rockwell, MBA Arizona State University Updated October 2026

This HCA 504 Module 3 sample is the Case Study Summary in Caregiving Issues for Families and Professionals, a course in ASU's MA in Aging. Worth 250 points, a quarter of the grade, the ASU HCA 504 case study summary asks for two intergenerational approaches to caregiving, one American and one international, in no more than 750 words. The composite student chose Experience Corps, which places older volunteers in Baltimore elementary schools, and REPRINTS, a Tokyo program in which older adults read picture books to young children. The summary explains how the cases were found, why each is intergenerational, what the evidence suggests for volunteers, children, families and communities, and which assumptions the student had to question.

CourseHCA 504 Caregiving Issues for Families and Professionals
ModuleModule 3
Paper typeCase study summary
LengthAbout 432 words, 4 pages
FormatAPA 7 student paper
SchoolArizona State University
ProgramMA in Aging
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for HCA 504 Module 3

1

Older Adults as Caregivers of the Young: Experience Corps and REPRINTS

Student Name

MA in Aging, Arizona State University

HCA 504: Caregiving Issues for Families and Professionals

Instructor Name

Month Day, Year

What this page is doingThe title reframes caregiving as flowing from older adults to children, the shared idea of both programs.
2

Older Adults as Caregivers of the Young: Experience Corps and REPRINTS

How the Cases Were Identified

I searched PubMed and the ASU Library for "intergenerational program" with "older adults" and "children," limited to evaluated programs. I also used a published review of intergenerational programs to check that my choices were typical of the field (Gualano et al., 2018). I chose two programs with peer-reviewed evaluations and different cultures.

Case 1: Experience Corps, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Experience Corps places adults aged 60 and older in public elementary schools for substantial weekly hours to help with reading, library support and classroom behavior. It is intergenerational because older adults give care and attention to children who need it, while the schools give older adults purpose, activity and new relationships. In a pilot randomized trial with 128 volunteers aged 60 to 86, most of them African American, participants increased physical activity, strength, cognitive activity and the number of people they could turn to for help, and their walking speed declined less than controls' over four to eight months (Fried et al., 2004).

Case 2: REPRINTS, Tokyo, Japan

REPRINTS trains older volunteers to read picture books to children in kindergartens and elementary schools, usually once every one to two weeks. It is intergenerational because the activity depends on both groups: children receive stories and attention from adults outside their families, and older adults practice memory, voice and social skills. An early report examined the program's health promotion effects on older volunteers (Fujiwara et al., 2009), and a six-year follow-up found that hippocampal volume was maintained in REPRINTS volunteers but declined in a comparison group, although cognitive scores did not differ (Sakurai et al., 2018).

Assessment of Outcomes

For individuals, both programs offer older adults a role that keeps them physically, mentally and socially active, which may slow decline. For families, children gain caring adults beyond their households, and older adults' families may see a relative more engaged and less isolated. For communities, schools gain help at low cost, and contact between generations can reduce age stereotypes, which a review found improved children's perceptions of older adults (Gualano et al., 2018). Both evaluations are small and, in REPRINTS, participants chose their group, so healthier volunteers may have joined.

What this page is doingNaming the evaluations' limits inside a 750-word summary shows judgment without spending many words.
3

Assumptions and Biases

I assumed intergenerational programs mainly help children, with older adults as helpers. Both cases showed the opposite emphasis: the programs were designed partly as health promotion for older adults. I also assumed such programs suit only healthy, retired volunteers; Experience Corps deliberately recruited from a low-income urban population. I now see caregiving across generations as reciprocal.

References

Fried, L. P., Carlson, M. C., Freedman, M., Frick, K. D., Glass, T. A., Hill, J., McGill, S., Rebok, G. W., Seeman, T., Tielsch, J., Wasik, B. A., & Zeger, S. (2004). A social model for health promotion for an aging population: Initial evidence on the Experience Corps model. Journal of Urban Health, 81(1), 64-78. https://doi.org/10.1093/jurban/jth094

Fujiwara, Y., Sakuma, N., Ohba, H., Nishi, M., Lee, S., Watanabe, N., Kousa, Y., Yoshida, H., Fukaya, T., Yajima, S., Amano, H., Kureta, Y., Ishii, K., Uchida, H., & Shinkai, S. (2009). REPRINTS: Effects of an intergenerational health promotion program for older adults in Japan. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 7(1), 17-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/15350770802628901

Gualano, M. R., Voglino, G., Bert, F., Thomas, R., Camussi, E., & Siliquini, R. (2018). The impact of intergenerational programs on children and older adults: A review. International Psychogeriatrics, 30(4), 451-468. https://doi.org/10.1017/S104161021700182X

Sakurai, R., Ishii, K., Sakuma, N., Yasunaga, M., Suzuki, H., Murayama, Y., Nishi, M., Uchida, H., Shinkai, S., & Fujiwara, Y. (2018). Preventive effects of an intergenerational program on age-related hippocampal atrophy in older adults: The REPRINTS study. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 33(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.4785

What the HCA 504 Module 3 instructions ask for

HCA 504's Case Study Summary carries 250 points, a quarter of the grade, and comes due in Week 3, which covers evidence-based interventions in caregiving. Find two programs that bring generations together in caregiving, one American and one from abroad, and write a summary of two to three pages with a firm maximum of 750 words. The syllabus asks you to explain the process you used to find the cases, give each program's name and location, explain how it is intergenerational, assess with citations how it might influence individuals, families and communities and reflect on your own assumptions and biases. The Week 5 video assignment builds on one of these cases. Choose programs with published evaluations so your assessment rests on evidence.

How the HCA 504 Module 3 example is put together

The sample opens with a short methods paragraph naming databases, search terms and a selection rule. Each case gets its own heading with name and location, a description of the activity, an explanation of why it is intergenerational and its evaluation results. An assessment section covers individuals, families and communities in turn, with limits, and a closing reflection names two assumptions the student revised. The body stays under 750 words. Because the word limit is strict, the sample uses one sentence of description per program feature and saves space for evidence and reflection. The reflection names concrete beliefs the student held and how the evidence changed them.

Where the marks sit in the HCA 504 Module 3 rubric

The summary is worth 250 points. Readers check that both cases are real, named and located, one in the United States and one abroad; that the search process is described; that the intergenerational nature is explained rather than assumed; that outcomes are assessed with citations at the individual, family and community levels; and that the reflection is honest and specific. Marks drop for exceeding 750 words, for cases without evidence, for skipping the methods and for generic reflections. Readers also reward a methods paragraph that would let another student repeat the search, and an assessment that names who benefits and how. Concise, well-cited writing earns more than long description. Every claim needs a source.

HCA 504 Module 3 help with common mistakes

Search for programs with published evaluations so your assessment has evidence behind it. Decide early which case you will present in the Week 5 video. Keep each case to about 200 words. Use one citation per major claim. Write the reflection last and name a specific belief you changed. Count words before submitting. If you are struggling to find an international program, the desk can suggest search strategies. Draft long, then cut to 750 words by removing background the reader does not need. Keep a list of other programs you found; one may suit your video better. Cite each evaluation you mention. Name both locations precisely.

Write yours, or have the desk draft it

This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.

Request this one custom, free All HCA 504 module samples

More HCA 504 and MA in Aging sample papers

HCA 504 Module 3 questions, answered

Where can I find a free HCA 504 Module 3 sample paper?

The full case study summary on Experience Corps and the REPRINTS program is on this page.

How long is the HCA 504 case study summary?

Two to three pages, with a maximum of 750 words.

What makes a program intergenerational?

Planned, ongoing exchange between older and younger generations that benefits both.

What is Experience Corps?

A program placing adults 60 and older in public elementary schools, evaluated in a Baltimore pilot trial.

What is the REPRINTS program?

A Japanese program in which older volunteers read picture books to young children.