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Civic engagement for older adults with functional limitations: piloting an intervention for adult day health participants
- Authors:
- DABELKO-SCHOENY Holly, ANDERSON Keith A., SPINKS Katie
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 50(5), October 2010, pp.694-701.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Past research has demonstrated the importance of civic engagement for older adults. This pilot study evaluates whether a civic engagement intervention is feasible for older adults with functional limitations and identifies the benefits of participation in such a programme. A convenience sample of 43 individuals who were 60 or over was recruited from two adult day health centres. A multicomponent intervention was implemented comprising education, service, and recognition phases. Using a nonequivalent switching replications design, researchers compared participants receiving the civic engagement intervention with participants receiving treatment as usual. In terms of feasibility, the intervention was unproblematic and amenable to this population. Participants receiving the intervention reported higher, yet nonsignificant, levels of purpose in life, self-esteem, and perceived physical health when compared with those in the control group. However, five weeks following the withdrawal of the intervention, participants reported a significant decrease in self-esteem and perceived physical health. The article concludes that civic engagement interventions appear to be quite feasible and possibly beneficial for older adults with physical and cognitive limitations. Future studies should examine the nature and amount of engagement needed to maximize the benefits of such interventions.
In their own words: participants’ perceptions of the impact of adult day services
- Authors:
- DABELKO-SCHOENY Holly, KING Shawn
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 53(2), February 2010, pp.176-192.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This qualitative study, involved twenty-eight one-to-one interviews with older people who had attended adult day care services based on four day health programs, for more than 3 months, in a mid west urban area of the United States. The purpose of the study was to gauge the benefits of these services to its older participants, rather than look at outcomes from an administrative, funding or accreditation perspective as seen, say the authors, in much of the research to date. This study attempted to identify outcomes through the lived experiences of older people using adult day care to build a theoretical understanding that connects experiences with outcomes. Three main groupings of experiences and outcomes were identified by these authors. Firstly, social connections were made among participants. Secondly, there were empowering relationships developed between participants and staff. Thirdly, there was much evidence of enjoyment of the activities and services provided. Further, these experiences seemed to be associated with a perceived improvement in psychosocial well-being and decrease in burden or dependence on the care giver, say the authors. These results suggest there is merit in further examination of the role social workers can play in supporting a psychosocial approach within adult day care services.