Development of the “Aging Together” Anti-Ageism Peer Support Intervention for Older Adults

Abstract

Abstract In alignment with the grand challenges for social work “to advance long andproductive lives” and “eradicate social isolation,” this article summarizes the development of a10-session manualized, group-based anti-ageism peer support program for older adults calledAging Together. Aging Together applies a strengths-based peer facilitation model, where olderadults with prior experience in group facilitation or teaching peer facilitate the program afterreceiving a 4-hour training and ongoing consultation. Key components of peer support,education about ageism and health, and storytelling are described, along with recommendedintervention structure and facilitation techniques. A case vignette is also included based on acomposite of experiences from a recent pilot study to help illustrate the process of change forgroup members. Documenting intervention development processes is of great value for socialpractitioners to understand the benefits and challenges of implementation in various contextsand the considerations involved in translating an intervention from research to direct practice.Social work practitioners working with older adults can apply this intervention in work witholder adults as part of efforts to reduce ageism and enhance psychosocial well-being of olderadults, thereby contributing to literature and practice on group work with older adults from asocial justice perspective. We discuss next steps including disseminating this program across diverse, underserved groups of older adults and conducting a longitudinal study to document the impact of the Aging Together program on older adults’ well-being over time.

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