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Older adult paraprofessionals: Working with and in behalf of older adults
Author(s) -
Gatz Margaret,
Hileman Curtis
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6629(198410)12:4<347::aid-jcop2290120407>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - outreach , mental health , diversity (politics) , psychology , gerontology , nursing , medical education , medicine , psychotherapist , sociology , political science , anthropology , law
Phyllis Amaral This critical review is focused on six selected issues relevant to those programs in which older paraprofessionals work with their elderly peers: (a) the overall emphasis on preventive mental health benefits for the helpers via the provision of meaningful roles; (b) the range of roles of older paraprofessionals, including peer counseling, casework and outreach, community organization and gerontological advocacy, and other adjunctive roles in agencies; (c) the wide diversity in recruitment, selection, and training practices; (d) the rationale of indigenousness or helper‐helpce age similarity as uniquely enhancing the effectiveness of older paraprofessionals; (e) the marginal integration of elderly paraprofessional programs into the mental health system; and (f) the paucity of program outcome evaluations. In considering each issue, an attempt is made to focus on embedded empirical concerns and the continuing need for establishing a research‐oriented literature commensurate with the recent growth of clinical and community interest in elderly peer paraprofessional strategies.