Peer-to-Peer Support for Older Adults—What Do We Know and Where Do We Go?

Thombs, Brett D.; Carboni-Jiménez, Andrea

doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.13941

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 7 publications

(17 reference statements)

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“…Several strategies have been considered to expand the reach of mental health services designed to meet the specific needs of older adults. Group programs may be cost-effective (compared to individual sessions with professionals) and especially appropriate because they also offer peer support (Thombs & Carboni-Jiménez, 2021). Service delivery by paraprofessionals in community-based settings may be especially appealing to older adults, for whom stigma of mental health care may be a deterrent to help-seeking, particularly among members of racial and ethnic minority groups (Conner et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mood Lifters for Seniors: Development and Evaluation of an Online, Peer-Led Mental Health Program for Older Adults

Roberts

Ferber

Funk

et al. 2022

Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

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Effective, scalable mental health programs are greatly needed for older adults. In this study, Mood Lifters—a peer-led, community-based program promoting mental well-being—was adapted to more specifically address the needs of older adults. Two groups completed the 14-week program via Zoom. A total of 24 participants enrolled ( Mage = 72 years), with 20 (83%) completing the program. Compared to baseline, program completers showed significant improvements in depression symptoms ( p < .01), perceived stress ( p = .04), sleep quality ( p < .01), physical activity ( p < .01), and brain health behaviors ( p = .01), with improvements maintained at 1-month follow-up. No significant changes were reported in participants’ anxiety, loneliness, or resilience. Participant ratings of program satisfaction were very high ( M = 4.75/5). Results suggest Mood Lifters for Seniors is feasible to disseminate and acceptable to older adults, with preliminary evidence of benefits in several mental health domains. Future randomized trials with larger, more diverse samples are needed to confirm program benefits.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mood Lifters for Seniors: Development and Evaluation of an Online, Peer-Led Mental Health Program for Older Adults

Roberts

Ferber

Funk

et al. 2022

Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

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Exploring the Experiences of Community-Dwelling Older Adults on Using Wearable Monitoring Devices With Regular Support From Community Health Workers, Nurses, and Social Workers: Qualitative Descriptive Study

Wong,

Bayuo,

et al. 2024

J Med Internet Res

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Background The use of wearable monitoring devices (WMDs), such as smartwatches, is advancing support and care for community-dwelling older adults across the globe. Despite existing evidence of the importance of WMDs in preventing problems and promoting health, significant concerns remain about the decline in use after a period of time, which warrant an understanding of how older adults experience the devices. Objective This study aims to explore and describe the experiences of community-dwelling older adults after receiving our interventional program, which included the use of a smartwatch with support from a community health workers, nurses, and social workers, including the challenges that they experienced while using the device, the perceived benefits, and strategies to promote their sustained use of the device. Methods We used a qualitative descriptive approach in this study. Older adults who had taken part in an interventional study involving the use of smartwatches and who were receiving regular health and social support were invited to participate in focus group discussions at the end of the trial. Purposive sampling was used to recruit potential participants. Older adults who agreed to participate were assigned to focus groups based on their community. The focus group discussions were facilitated and moderated by 2 members of the research team. All discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. We used the constant comparison analytical approach to analyze the focus group data. Results A total of 22 participants assigned to 6 focus groups participated in the study. The experiences of community-dwelling older adults emerged as (1) challenges associated with the use of WMDs, (2) the perceived benefits of using the WMDs, and (3) strategies to promote the use of WMDs. In addition, the findings also demonstrate a hierarchical pattern of health-seeking behaviors by older adults: seeking assistance first from older adult volunteers, then from social workers, and finally from nurses. Conclusions Ongoing use of the WMDs is potentially possible, but it is important to ensure the availability of technical support, maintain active professional follow-ups by nurses and social workers, and include older adult volunteers to support other older adults in such programs.

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Exploring the Experiences of Community-Dwelling Older Adults on Using Wearable Monitoring Devices With Regular Support From Community Health Workers, Nurses, and Social Workers: Qualitative Descriptive Study (Preprint)

Wong,

Bayuo,

et al. 2023

Preprint

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BACKGROUND The use of wearable monitoring devices (WMDs), such as smartwatches, is advancing support and care for community-dwelling older adults across the globe. Despite existing evidence of the importance of WMDs in preventing problems and promoting health, significant concerns remain about the decline in use after a period of time, which warrant an understanding of how older adults experience the devices. OBJECTIVE This study aims to explore and describe the experiences of community-dwelling older adults after receiving our interventional program, which included the use of a smartwatch with support from a community health workers, nurses, and social workers, including the challenges that they experienced while using the device, the perceived benefits, and strategies to promote their sustained use of the device. METHODS We used a qualitative descriptive approach in this study. Older adults who had taken part in an interventional study involving the use of smartwatches and who were receiving regular health and social support were invited to participate in focus group discussions at the end of the trial. Purposive sampling was used to recruit potential participants. Older adults who agreed to participate were assigned to focus groups based on their community. The focus group discussions were facilitated and moderated by 2 members of the research team. All discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. We used the constant comparison analytical approach to analyze the focus group data. RESULTS A total of 22 participants assigned to 6 focus groups participated in the study. The experiences of community-dwelling older adults emerged as (1) challenges associated with the use of WMDs, (2) the perceived benefits of using the WMDs, and (3) strategies to promote the use of WMDs. In addition, the findings also demonstrate a hierarchical pattern of health-seeking behaviors by older adults: seeking assistance first from older adult volunteers, then from social workers, and finally from nurses. CONCLUSIONS Ongoing use of the WMDs is potentially possible, but it is important to ensure the availability of technical support, maintain active professional follow-ups by nurses and social workers, and include older adult volunteers to support other older adults in such programs.

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Peer-to-Peer Support for Older Adults—What Do We Know and Where Do We Go?

Cited by 3 publications

References 7 publications

Mood Lifters for Seniors: Development and Evaluation of an Online, Peer-Led Mental Health Program for Older Adults

Mood Lifters for Seniors: Development and Evaluation of an Online, Peer-Led Mental Health Program for Older Adults

Exploring the Experiences of Community-Dwelling Older Adults on Using Wearable Monitoring Devices With Regular Support From Community Health Workers, Nurses, and Social Workers: Qualitative Descriptive Study

Exploring the Experiences of Community-Dwelling Older Adults on Using Wearable Monitoring Devices With Regular Support From Community Health Workers, Nurses, and Social Workers: Qualitative Descriptive Study (Preprint)

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