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Delivering a psychosocial program for older people living in retirement homes during the Covid‐19 pandemic: A process evaluation and recommendations for community interventions
Author(s) -
Jarvis Mary Ann,
Pillay Suntosh R.,
Norton Lynn M.,
Hiraman Nemisha,
Baloyi Olivia B.
Publication year - 2023
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/jcop.22876
Subject(s) - loneliness , psychosocial , thematic analysis , boredom , mental health , context (archaeology) , psychological intervention , pandemic , focus group , qualitative research , nursing , gerontology , medicine , psychology , covid-19 , sociology , psychiatry , social psychology , disease , social science , paleontology , pathology , anthropology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , biology
The Covid‐19 pandemic lockdown regulations caused retirement homes to temporarily ban in‐person visitation potentially increasing the mental health risks of older people. An opportunity arose for a multistakeholder community collaboration to design a mental health program for older people. To evaluate the process of delivering a 12‐week psychosocial program aimed at preventing loneliness, countering boredom, and providing older people in restricted settings with education about Covid‐19 during the lockdown, in Durban, South Africa. A qualitative retrospective design was used. Data from two focus groups and six semistructured individual interviews conducted with stakeholders (volunteers, social workers, and residents) postproject were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Stakeholders had varied experiences of the project, in terms of content, processes of engagement, and implementation, resulting in five themes. The study concluded with recommendations. A strong need exists for multistakeholder community collaborations when implementing a program where the context restricts physical access.