Peer Support for Older Adults

Abstract The majority of older adults want to live and age in their communities. Some community-based organizations (CBOs) have initiated peer-to-peer support services to promote aging in place but the effectiveness of these programs is not clear. Our objective was to compare the effectiveness of a community-designed and implemented peer-to-peer support program vs. access to standard community services, in promoting health and wellness in vulnerable older adult populations. We partnered with three CBOs, one each in California, Florida, and New York, to enroll adults 65 > years of age who received peer support and matched control participants (on age, gender, and race/ethnicity) in an observational study. We followed participants over 12 months, collecting data on self-reported urgent care and emergency department visits and hospitalizations. In order to account for the lack of randomization, we used a propensity score method to compare outcomes between the two groups. We enrolled 222 older adults in the peer-to-peer group and 234 in the control group. After adjustment, we found no differences between the groups in the incidence of hospitalization, urgent and emergency department visits, and composite outcome of any health care utilization. The incidence of urgent care visits was statistically significantly greater in the standard community service group than in the peer-to-peer group. Given that the majority of older adults and their families want them to age in place, the question of how to do this is highly relevant. Peer-to-peer services may provide some benefit to older adults in regard to their health care utilization.

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The Impact of Peer Support on the Risk of Future Hospital Readmissions among Older Adults with a Medical Illness and Co-Occurring Depression

Social Sciences ◽

10.3390/socsci7090156 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (9) ◽

pp. 156

Author(s):

Kyaien Conner ◽

Tamara Cadet ◽

Monique Brown ◽

Joshua Barnett

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Peer Support ◽

Hospital Readmission ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Medical Condition ◽

Hospital Readmissions ◽

Medical Illness ◽

Future Hospital ◽

Discharge From Hospital ◽

The Impact

Older adults account for 60% of all preventable hospital readmissions. Although not all readmissions are preventable, evidence indicates that up to 75% of hospital readmissions can be prevented with enhanced patient education, pre-discharge assessment, and effective care upon discharge. Social support, specifically peer support, after discharge from hospital may be a crucial factor in minimizing the risk of preventable hospital readmission. The pilot study reported here evaluated the relationship between peer support and hospital readmissions in a sample of depressed older adults (N = 41) who were recently discharged from hospital due to a medical condition and who simultaneously had an untreated mental health diagnosis of depression. As hypothesized, participants who received the 3-month long peer support intervention were significantly less likely to be readmitted compared to those who did not receive the intervention. Findings from this preliminary information suggest that peer support is a protective factor that can positively affect patient outcomes, reduce the risk of hospital readmission, and reduce depressive symptoms among older adults with health and behavioral health comorbidities.

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Internet-Based Medical Service Use and Eudaimonic Well-Being of Urban Older Adults: A Peer Support and Technology Acceptance Model

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182212062 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (22) ◽

pp. 12062

Author(s):

Wenjia Li ◽

Shengwei Shen ◽

Jidong Yang ◽

Qinghe Tang

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Technology Acceptance ◽

Peer Support ◽

Technology Acceptance Model ◽

Well Being ◽

Perceived Usefulness ◽

Internet Technology ◽

Internet Services ◽

Acceptance Model ◽

The Impact

Currently, internet services are developing rapidly, and the relationship between specific types of internet services and the well-being of older adults is still unclear. This study took a total of 353 urban older adults aged 60 years and above as research objects to explore the impact of the use behavior toward internet-based medical services (IBMS) on their well-being through an online questionnaire. This study integrated well-being theory and peer support theory, constructed an extended structural equation model of technology acceptance based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), and analyzed the variable path relationship. The results confirm the proposed model: older adults improved their eudaimonic well-being through using IBMS; perceived usefulness significantly affected the older adults’ attitudes towards IBMS; perceived ease of use significantly affected the use of IBMS through mediation; peer support significantly affected older adults’ attitudes, willingness, actual use, and well-being in the process. This study proposes that facilitating IBMS use for older adults in the development and design of internet technology programs should be considered in order to provide them with benefits. Moreover, paying attention to peer support among older adults plays an important role in the acceptance of new technologies and improving their well-being. The “peer support” of this study expanded and contributed to the research on the impact on older adults’ well-being and the construction of a technology acceptance model. The peer support in this study extended the influence factor of eudaimonic well-being and contributed to the further development of the TAM.

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