Community-Based Disability Prevention Programs for Elders: Predictors of Progam Completion

Abstract

Strategies to foster elder well-being and reduce long-term care costs include efficacious community disability prevention programs. Program completion remains an important barrier to their effectiveness. We examined the association between provider relationships and client variables, and program completion in senior centers. Our mixed methods design used secondary data for 719 clients and primary data through telephone interviews with 20 nurses, 23 social workers, and 18 site managers. Quantitative data showed that higher client baseline self-efficacy positively influenced completion and minority status negatively influenced completion. Qualitative data showed that higher focus on provider-client relationships was associated with high completion.

KEYWORDS:

• Community programs
• program participation
• provider relationships
• self-efficacy
• minorities

The research was conducted in partial fulfillment of the doctor of philosophy degree requirements for Almas Dossa, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University. We thank the other dissertation committee members, Suzanne Leveille, PhD, Walter Leutz, PhD, and Sarita Bhalotra, PhD, for their participation. This research was supported in part by a grant from the Foundation for Physical Therapy.

We are grateful to Susan Snyder, Vice President, Senior Services, Seattle, WA; Elizabeth Phelan, MD, and Barbara Williams, PhD, University of Washington; Jody Gittell, PhD, Brandeis University; Terence Tivnan, PhD, Harvard University; Silvana di Gregorio, PhD, SdG Associates; and to the nurses, social workers, and site managers who participated in the study.