![Sample our Health and Social Care journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5938/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Health-Social-Care.jpg"})
Abstract
Many residents in long-term care (LTC) facilities experience social isolation, lack of control over their lives and role loss. Participation in altruistic activities can create a meaningful social role. Based on the activity theory of aging (Lemon, Bengtson, & Peterson, 1972), the adoption of a meaningful role may improve the life satisfaction of residents in LTC facilities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of participation in an altruistic activity on institutionalized elders. Eighteen residents from four LTC facilities were assigned to either an intervention group (mentoring) or a usual care control group (no mentoring). Once a week residents in the mentoring group participated in one-on-one mentoring conversational skills to English as a Second Language (ESL) students in an hour session for 1-3 weeks. Residents were administered the Life Satisfaction Index-A (LSI-A) to measure their life satisfaction at the beginning and end of the study. Results of an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated that at post-intervention residents in the mentoring group reported a higher adjusted mean score of LSI-A than those in the control group (F (.05, 1, 15) = 4.96, p = .0417). Comparison between the LSI-A mean scores at pre- and post-intervention in the mentoring group using a paired t-test showed a significant improvement (t(.05, 8) = 1.98, p = .042, one-tailed). This study provides some preliminary evidence to validate the beneficial effects of participating in an altruistic activity on residents in LTC facilities.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Hon Keung Yuen
Jennifer R. Johnson was a graduate student in the School of Occupational Therapy, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX at the time of this study. She is currently employed as an Occupational Therapist at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, LA
Debra Stewart is Lecturer, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University and staff therapist at Erinoak Centre, Missis-sauga, Ontario. She is currently completing a MSc (Design, Measurement and Evaluation) at McMaster University.
Ronald L. Mace (deceased, June 29, 1998) was also affiliated with The Center for Universal Design, School of Design, North Carolina University.
Lois Rosage and Geraldine Shaw are Occupational Therapist Consultants who provide evaluations for the housing programs at the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging.
Debbie Rand is Occupational Therapist, Beit Rivka Geriatric Rehabilitation Hospital, Petach Tikva, Israel. She completed this study in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy, School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her mailing address is 50 Heh B'Eyar Street, Apartment 5, Rosh Ha'Ayin, Israel, 48056.
Maureen McKenna is a Licensed Physical Therapist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. Her Current position is: Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy, Wheeling Jesuit University, 316 Washington Avenue, Wheeling, WV 26003.
Heather Lambert was funded in part by a Health Canada NHRDP Fellowship, a REPAR Fellowship, a doctoral bursary from the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Quebec, and a Canadian Occupational Therapy Foundation-Royal Canadian Legion Fellowship in Gerontology.
Trish Wielandt was supported by a University of Queensland Postgraduate Research Scholarship (UQPRS).
Dr. Leigh Tooth was supported by a NHMRC Fellowship (#997032) while some of this research was undertaken.
J. D. “Herb” Herbert is Occupational Therapist, Rocky Mountain Menders LLC, 363 Pioneer Road, Lyons, CO 80540. At the time of this study, he was a graduate student, Department of Occupational Therapy, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.