Abstract
This poster will explore the development and implementation of a training program for resident ambassador volunteers in a personal care facility. This peer mentorship program's outcomes show benefit for both volunteer and resident.
Primary Author and Speaker: Christopher Heron
Contributing Authors: Christine Daeschner
There is a need within personal care facilities for increased social support for new residents as well as additional volunteering opportunities for established residents (Fealy et al., 2024). Creating an ambassador program in which resident volunteers' mentor new residents aims to satisfy these needs. Theurer et al. (2020) showcase how volunteering to mentor peers in personal care facilities provides residents an opportunity to meaningfully contribute to their community and improve health outcomes. This evidence-based project creates a training program for personal care resident volunteers to feel more confident in their role as ambassadors to new residents. The evidence shows that volunteer ambassadors and new residents will both benefit from a program that promotes more autonomy, allows residents to take part in more meaningful activities that build competence, and fosters the development of new relationships to increase a sense of belonging (Davidson et al., 2022). Inclusion criteria include residents who have lived in the personal care facility for over six months, have no diagnosed cognitive disabilities, and can communicate effectively. Self-created pre- and post-test surveys were designed and peer-reviewed to quantitatively measure participants' confidence before and after participating in six training sessions. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze and compare quantitative data from the pre and post-test surveys. Results indicate increased volunteer confidence after completing the training and suggest the intervention can be easily replicated to help establish similar programs at personal care facilities everywhere. The social supports that arose from this project are vital for personal-care residents to facilitate relationship building and limit social isolation. The project highlights the capacity of occupational therapists to improve outcomes for both new and established personal care residents through innovative training and programming.
Davison, T. E., McCabe, M. P., Busija, L., & Graham, A. (2022). Program to enhance adjustment to residential living (PEARL): Effect on adjustment, anxiety, quality of life, and stress. Clinical Gerontologist, 45(5), 1117–1129. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2022.2100729
Fealy, S., McLaren, S., Nott, M., Claire Ellen Seaman, Cash, B., & Rose, L. (2024). Psychological interventions designed to reduce relocation stress for older people transitioning into permanent residential aged care: A systematic scoping review. Aging & Mental Health, 28(9), 1197–1208. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2024.2340731
Theurer, K. A., Stone, R. I., Suto, M. J., Timonen, V., Brown, S. G., & Mortenson, W. B. (2020). Reducing loneliness and depression: The power of peer mentoring in long-term care. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 21(1), 137–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2019.08.011