We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Grandpal Penpals: A qualitative study of a social program on senior quality of life in residential care facilities.
- Authors
Yuqing Ding; Cheung, Bonnie; Kong, Timothy; Wan-Yi Lee; Yao, Jennifer
- Abstract
Objectives Grandpal Penpals (GP) is a unique community program that connects seniors living in residential care with elementary school students through pen pal letter writing and visits. A common belief is that seniors have a lower quality of life in residential care facilities. We qualitatively explored how this program related to the senior participants' quality of life in the domains of motivation, activities, relationships, and autonomy. Methods Among participants in the GP program, seniors who were sufficiently cognitively intact were chosen to participate in our study. In--person interviews were conducted with participants at the beginning and at the end of the program to determine major themes. Results Four major themes were identified: 1) GP strengthened the participants' pre--existing motivations, 2) participants perceived social programs like GP to be enjoyable and beneficial while actively involved, 3) most participants found that GP did not affect their interpersonal relationships, and 4) GP did not affect the participants' self--perceived level of autonomy. Conclusions While participants greatly enjoyed GP, they perceived little relation of the program to their overall quality of life. Our research suggests that other highly engaging, goal--oriented, long--term social programs with increased senior--senior or senior--family interaction may be of greater relevance and benefit.
- Subjects
URBAN community development; OLDER people; SCHOOL children; QUALITY of life; SOCIAL interaction
- Publication
UBC Medical Journal, 2017, Vol 8, Issue 2, p16
- ISSN
1920-7425
- Publication type
Article