Intended for use by senior adult peer advisors (age 60 and over) engaged in helping relationships in providing consumer education to other senior adults. The advisory procedures are based on a problem solving approach which incorporates the development of a self-help concept. Provides information on consumer advising, presents advising steps with examples, and briefly discusses group sessions. Provides information in outline form on such topics as: appliances, clothing, credit, death and burial, food, frauds, housing, insurance, health care, money management, recreation and leisure, safety in the home, social services, and transportation. (YLB).
This manual helps professionals and non-professionals develop a peer support system involving older persons in the provision of comprehensive mental health services. The materials focus on: (1) program concept and objectives, (2) links between physical and mental health in the elderly, (3) recruitment and training of peer counselors, (4) health education workshops, (5) support networks, and (5) program evaluation. (Author/JAC)
Describes a program for memory strengthening for older adults which combines lectures by experts with small group discussions. The importance of peer counselor involvement, particularly in focusing on the concerns of older people and the most effective ways to address these concerns is emphasized. Program objectives, session topics, and format are outlined, followed by a publicity sample designed to attract participants. Outlines are provided for both lecture and small group sessions. (NRB).
4003 Dawson, E. E. (1981). The hospice: An educational-service model providing counseling opportunities and indirect benefits for older widows. Death Education, 5(2), 107-119.
Focuses on the large and increasing number of older widows available for human service work within the hospice movement caring for the dying and bereaved. Suggests widows possess an empathic readiness for work in this human service field, and become both beneficiaries and benefactors of their service efforts. (Author).
Describes a model for training senior citizens as peer counsellors in an outreach and self help program. The focus is on increasing preventive mental health services for the elderly.
Describes three training programs that are directed toward identifying the problems of the minority aged and training persons (especially those over 60 years) to deal with those problems. One of the programs provides training for low-income persons who serve low-income persons in need (i.e., psychologically impaired or physically disabled).
Describes several kinds of mutual help groups and two ways to initiate them: (1) through conferences, and (2) through short-term training programs. A substantial need continues for mutual help groups in an era of reduced professional and consumer resources. Research is needed to document their extensiveness, impact and longevity. (JAC).
Describes a peer counselor training program for five older adult volunteers. Presents suggestions for advertising, screening, program format, and development of practica, and examines the role and helpfulness of the peer counselors who provided in-home counseling services. (JAC).
Offers practical suggestions for the design and implementation of peer counseling programs for older adults. General suggestions include trainee selection, setting goals, and providing follow-up. Also presents specific recommendations on group size, format, leadership qualities, and conducting training. (Author/JAC).
Describes the curricula and teaching methods of 18 senior peer counselor training projects in the United States. The skills most often stressed in the projects were one-to- one counselling, active listening, problem identification, information and referral, advocacy, and assertiveness. Themes agreed on by 67 percent of the projects were general counseling, loss of spouse, information and referral, health education, legal advocacy, consumer counseling, and chemical dependency. Attitudes receiving a strong emphasis in the projects dealt with the appreciation of caring in helping others, valuing the worth and dignity of individuals, respecting the client's right to make the final decision, valuing the role of paraprofessional peer counselors, and maintaining confidentiality. (KC).
Describes the "Peer Support System," which involved older people in the provision of improved mental health services, including education and service identification. The program consisted of recruiting and training 48 peer counselors, and conducting monthly health education workshops. Funded by the Administration on Aging, the project served 2,500 people. (Author).
The Adult Resource Center serves as a liaison with social service agencies, businesses, and other educational units and provides guidance to adults in deciding if, when, or where they want to continue to learn. The center serves 700 persons per month, providing individual and group career/life planning services from learning consultants-- peer counselors who have made changes in their own lives and recognize the value of continuing to learn. The Center also provides programs of career alternatives for educators, faculty development for new learners, academic advisement, outplacement services, retirement planning, and management development. (Author/KC).
Examined the degree of personal growth experienced by older adult participants of a peer counselor training course. Results showed that the course attracted individuals who were self-assured in their ability to deal with their problems and that the course served to increase the participants' levels of self-confidence. (BH).
Evaluates the effectiveness of a peer counselling training program in a nursing home in Victoria, B.C. The goal was to expand the number of helpers available and involve more residents in their self-care. The results indicated that the training model used is an effective method of teaching helping skills. (Author/ JAC).
Three demonstration projects that developed ways to strengthen the informal helping networks of elderly clients are described. The following aspects of network intervention are discussed and illustrated by these projects: assessment of client networks, possible goals of network intervention and the ability of programs to achieve them, and evaluation for interventions. Each program found barriers to intervening in networks derived from the client, the network, and the social service agency. Major barriers encountered include the client's privacy preferences and attitudes about relying on the network for help, networks that are exhausted or unsupportive, and agency structures that limit interventions. Although each program had some measure of success in strengthening social support for its clients, it does not appear that informal resources can easily and cost effectively substitute for formal services. (Authors).
Neighbors in retirement housing were surveyed to identify distinguishing characteristics natural helping styles of interactants within a dynamic informal support system. Findings confirm a typology of three neighborhood exchange types: (1) high helpers, who exhibit a quasi- professional style of helping without reciprocation; (2) mutual helpers, who show an interdependent style of give and take; and (3) neighborhood isolates, whose social ties help sources are primarily outside the neighborhood. Service models suggested by natural helping style include volunteer programs and self-help group interventions. (Author).
A program of peer counsellor training was conducted to evaluate the acquisition of counselling skills by older volunteers. Results indicate that the trained groups changed significantly compared to controls on two of the three core dimensions (empathy and warmth) and had scores on all three scores above the minimum necessary for effective counselling. (Author).
A demonstration project using a volunteer peer advisory approach to consumer education for the elderly was developed which indicates the possibility of using a peer advisory system for employing lifetime consumer experiences of the elderly and of providing avenues for continued societal involvement. (Author).
This 306 page book written by a sociologist focuses on the relationship between informal and formal helping with considerable attention to theoretical principles. Although the author provides evidence from his own and others research, this book will unlikely assist the practitioner in developing specific programs. For an interesting review of this book see Peterson, W. A. (1985, October). Review essay, The Gerontologist, 25(15), 554-560. (RAC).
Describes a project in which peer counseling by three male and three female residents (aged 69-96 years) was implemented in a 66-bed intermediate care facility for the elderly. Ss received peer counselling training in communication skills, common age- related life crises, confidentiality and referrals, and a practicum. Tape-recorded interviews with trained role players both before and after training indicated significant improvement in Ss' use of empathy. Other benefits of the project are discussed and peer counselling is recommended for other elderly care facilities. (Authors).
Investigated the practical and conceptual implications of transforming professionally offered services into a mutual-aid model. The present study was conducted within an organization called Senior Actualization and Growth Explorations (SAGE). Groups led by professionals were compared to those led by the elderly, who were supervised by SAGE graduates, and both of these groups of participants were compared to a wait- control group of elderly. A series of pre- and postmeasures on goal attainment scales and physical and mental health indices were used to evaluate the impact of the SAGE program. The 108 Ss involved were aged 60-83 years. Results show that professionally led groups had greater impact on the improvement of mental health indices compared with the peer-led groups. Findings are discussed in the context of a framework used to analyze the differences between professionally conducted therapy, paraprofessionals, and peer-led self help. (Psyc Abstr).
Suggests that married widowhood is a reality for husbands and wives with a spouse requiring a nursing home placement. At a time of increasing personal responsibilities, role changes, and financial pressure, these spouses are also dealing with the loss of support of the most significant relationship in their lives. It is proposed that peer support groups in the nursing home setting can provide an important support network for married widowers. (Psyc Abstr).
This is an informal paper discussing the initiation, implementation, and action of a peer counselling program for the aged in the Santa Monica area. Case studies are given of the effectiveness of the program. (SS).
This paper reports on outcome and process evaluation of a stroke risk factor education program in a senior citizens' center using elderly peer facilitators (PFs), and a period of both formal and informal education in the senior center and community. Outcome evaluation assessed knowledge of stroke and stroke risk factors in the PFs and center population, and the extent to which PFs provided health information, direct assistance and emotional and moral support for positive health behaviors. Knowledge scores for PFs and experimental center members were compared with those at another center without a program, and PF activities were assessed using simple logs kept by the PFs for 12 weeks. Process evaluation provided additional information about experiences with various components of the program and qualitative information related to program effectiveness. Findings for both outcome and process evaluations indicated that the Peer Facilitator Program was successful in training elderly lay persons to carry out health education, increasing knowledge at the program center, and facilitating information and advice for stroke risk reduction. (Journal).
The System to Assure Elderly Services (STAES) is an innovative program operated by Consolidated Neighbourhood Services, Incorporated (CNSI) in St. Louis. Through STAES, CNSI trains elderly volunteers to perform two functions for their elderly neighbours. First, they provide instrumental support, including telephone reassurance, socializing, shopping, and transportation. Second, they maintain regular contact with their assigned neighbours and refer them to service agencies or to CNSI when needs arise. The program is described so that other communities may implement similar approaches. (Authors).
The purpose of this article is to describe the training of peer counsellors for older people. It describes the need for peer counseling among older people, a framework in selecting peer counsellors suitable for this population, and some plans and problems in counsellor training. This article outlines a training format and provides some case examples. (SS).
A pilot outreach program was designed to reduce social isolation and meet the social service needs of elderly living in the community. In order to meet the social service needs of 72 socially isolated older persons, peer counsellors used a problem solving casework approach focussed on enhancing self-help skills. Community development efforts and networking techniques were implemented to encourage participants to expand their social interaction networks and develop peer support systems. An evaluation of the pilot programs suggests that it was successful in decreasing social isolation and in meeting the social service needs of those who were served. (Authors).
Discusses the functions and principles of peer counseling (PC) for the elderly. PC for older people uses the skills and life experience of older adults in a self-help approach to mental health. 121 peer counselors have been trained since 1978. The PC process has been shown to benefit counselors as well as clients. (Psyc Abstr).
Describes Operation Senior Security (OSS) and Operation Victim Support (OVS), which are community programs in central Illinois designed to train elderly volunteers to counsel other elderly persons in self-protection methods. These volunteers are also trained to provide assistance to elderly victims of crime. OSS is a crime-prevention approach that uses films, lectures, and discussion. OVS is a 30-hour program, divided into 10 sessions, in which participants are taught listening responses, identification of feelings, and communication. In the later sessions, participants can practice using the information, skills, and techniques presented earlier. After completing the training, participants are provided with ongoing support in the form of monthly 2-hour sessions. Responses from a survey of 24 participants (aged 60-90+ years) indicate that their communication skills, knowledge of community services, and problem- solving abilities had increased. (Psyc Abstr).
A health promotion delivery system using a peer leadership and social networking model was pilot tested in an elderly population. Participants were recruited from a volunteer organization and from a health promotion project. Lessons on fiber intake, dietary change, and peer leadership were presented in a small group setting. Those who qualified as peer leaders recruited a second generation of participants and taught them in the same manner. The pilot study determined that this model was feasible, showing an average increase in specific nutrition knowledge of 52.3%, and that peer leaders could be recruited and trained effectively. Recommendations for recruitment and training of peer leaders and for design of program content are discussed. (Journal).
This is a training manual for seniors peer counselling programs. It provides step-by- step instructions, training activities, role plays and other supporting documents. Consists of a program guide for leaders and a workbook for senior peer counsellors.
Describes an evaluation of a model program designed to increase social support for newly-admitted nursing home residents through a structured program of peer counseling. New residents who received counseling improved somewhat on measures of social functioning, especially when compared to residents in the control group. In turn, peer counselor trainees improved with regard to appearance and grooming. The need for further attempts to understand and promote social support and social competence among institutionalized elderly adults is highlighted. (Author).
An important goal of any adult education program is to enable adults to take a more active role in developing their social, political, and economic futures. Seniors' peer counseling is an informal support service that uses the senior population as lay counselors to their more needy peers. The purpose of this paper will be to outline some of the unique features of the social context and the training program of the seniors' peer counseling program at Century House in New Westminster, British Columbia. Eighteen seniors completed an 18-month training program. This particular model was designed not only to train counseling skills but to assist participants in taking a more active role in developing and maintaining the program. Results from a quasi- experimental design showed significant increase in helping skills and in the ability to compensate for sensory losses; informal evaluative procedures suggested additional benefits of the program to clients, participants, and professionals in the community. Documentation of the development of control and responsibility suggests that the program was effective in enabling seniors to play a more active part in defining the network of community support. (Authors).
Analyzed was the five year experience of a neighborhood-based, volunteer geriatric health outreach program developed by a consortium of health and social agencies. The outreach program enhanced the network of natural community helpers through an organized program in which Street Health Workers (SHWs) provided support to elderly people and their families. In turn, neighborhood elderly persons received needed services from the Street Health Workers. (Author).
Primary groups such as relatives, neighbors and friends are a source of support that health care providers overlook. Authors suggest primary groups can help prevent the misuse of prescription medicine. Kin are especially helpful in assisting elderly to take medications on a long-term basis where the regimens are fairly simple. Kin can help the older minority woman to understand the doctor. Even at a distance, kin may be able to provide such assistance and should not be discounted as a resource. Neighbors can be helpful in getting a medicine needed unexpectedly and might assist with relatively complex routines that last for only a brief period. Friends who have had similar experiences are especially helpful when the medicine is prescribed on an as needed basis by teaching the client how to judge when a dose is needed. (Authors).
4036 Litwak, E., Messeri, P., & Silverstein, M. (1990). The role of formal and informal groups in providing help to older people. Marriage and Family Review, 15(1/2), 171- 194.
Authors propose task specific theory to describe the use of friends, neighbours, and kin to help elderly. They argue for the need for researchers and formal service providers to recognize that while goals of service may be similar between formal and informal help, they may conflict on how to achieve the goal.
The authors describe a stress management program for older adults, discuss the advantages and limitations of using peer counselors, and make suggestions for professionals who work with both older adults and peer counselors.
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Informal caregiving by women, and to a lesser extent by men, is a major source of assistance to the chronically disabled and most dependent older persons living in the community. This study found that with younger women making commitments to career employment, the time they have available for informal caregiving is severely diminished. At a time when there is an increase in elderly persons, these factors combine to create a significant social and economic issue. (RAC)
This comprehensive manual provides background information on involving seniors as volunteers and provides both an extensive leader's guide and participant's workbook within the same three-ring binder format. An additional chapter is provided on co- leader training.
This project addressed hypertension, considering the variables of exercise, weight, blood pressure measurement, medication compliance, and nutritional practices while incoporating principles of self- responsibility for health. Major intervention activities included a three- times weekly exercise program; weekly weigh-ins, bi-weekly blood pressure checks; physician referral for anti-hypertensive prescription/maintenance; diet instruction, and peer facilitated health educational activities. Additionally, community support and project volunteers were obtained via various community organization strategies, such as community meetings, newspaper articles, or from advisory board activities. Major, everyday, grass roots, responsibilities for program implementation were carried out be a peer senior citizen community organizer and a peer senior citizen health educator, with strong guidance from the area Agency on Aging. Evaluation activities were based on the measureable impact and process objectives. (Authors)