Key Elements and Mechanisms of a Peer-Support Intervention to Reduce Loneliness and Isolation among Low-Income Older Adults: A Qualitative Implementation Science Study.

This paper describes the evaluation of a longitudinal peer-support program developed to address loneliness and isolation among low-income, urban community-dwelling older adults in San Francisco. Our objective was to determine barriers, challenges, and successful strategies in implementation of the p...

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Published in:Journal of Applied Gerontology Vol. 41; no. 12; pp. 2574 - 2583
Main Authors: Fuller, Shannon M., Kotwal, Ashwin A., Tha, Soe Han, Hill, Daniel, Perissinotto, Carla, Myers, Janet J.
Format: Article
Published: Sage Publications Inc. Dec2022
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Dec2022
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      pub: Sage Publications Inc.
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        atl: Key Elements and Mechanisms of a Peer-Support Intervention to Reduce Loneliness and Isolation among Low-Income Older Adults: A Qualitative Implementation Science Study.
      aug:
        au:
          Fuller, Shannon M.
          Kotwal, Ashwin A.
          Tha, Soe Han
          Hill, Daniel
          Perissinotto, Carla
          Myers, Janet J.
        affil:
          Division of Prevention Science, Department of Medicine, 8785 University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
          Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, 8785 University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
          Geriatrics, Palliative, and Extended Care Service Line, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
          Curry Senior Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
      su:
        California
        Affinity groups
        Friendship
        Social support
        Evaluation of human services programs
        Client relations
        Interviewing
        Creative ability
        Social isolation
        Qualitative research
        Loneliness
        Interpersonal relations
        Poverty
        Metropolitan areas
        COVID-19 pandemic
        Old age
        Peer counseling
        Independent living
        Thematic analysis
      sug:
        subj:
          Affinity groups
          Friendship
          Social support
          Evaluation of human services programs
          Client relations
          Interviewing
          Creative ability
          Social isolation
          Qualitative research
          Loneliness
          Interpersonal relations
          Poverty
          Metropolitan areas
          COVID-19 pandemic
          Old age
          California
          Other Individual and Family Services
          Peer counseling
          Independent living
          Thematic analysis
      keyword:
        implementation science
        loneliness
        older adults
        peer support
        qualitative methods
        implementation science
        loneliness
        older adults
        peer support
        qualitative methods
      ab: This paper describes the evaluation of a longitudinal peer-support program developed to address loneliness and isolation among low-income, urban community-dwelling older adults in San Francisco. Our objective was to determine barriers, challenges, and successful strategies in implementation of the program. In-depth qualitative interviews with clients (n = 15) and peers (n = 6) were conducted and analyzed thematically by program component. We identified barriers and challenges to engagement and outlined strategies used to identify clients, match them with peers, and provide support to both peers and clients. We found that peers played a flexible, non-clinical role and were perceived as friends. Connections to community resources helped when clients needed additional support. We also documented creative strategies used to maintain inter-personal connections during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study fills a gap in understanding how a peer-support program can be designed to address loneliness and social isolation, particularly in low-income, urban settings.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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