1. Chapter 14 Groups for Older Adults
Prepared by: Nathaniel N. Ivers, Wake Forest University

2. Roadmap Late Adulthood Types of Groups for Older Adults
Setting up Groups for Older Adults
Role of the Leader in Older Adult Groups
Groups for Caregivers of Older Adults
Strengths and Limitations

3. Late Adulthood
Begins in the 60s and extends up to approximately 120 years of age
The percentage of those over the age of 65 continues to rise (13% of the population or 43 million in 2014)
By 2060, the number is projected to more than double and will be 92 million.

4. Types of Groups for Older Adults
Psychoeducational and Task/Work Groups
Counseling and Psychotherapy Groups

5. Psychoeducational & Task/Work Groups
Gray Panthers Groups
AARP Groups
Groups for older adults who require long-term care

6. Counseling and Psychotherapy Groups
Reality-oriented groups
Remotivation therapy groups
Reminiscing and life review groups
Topic- and theme-focused groups
Member-specific groups
eGroups

7. Setting up Groups for Older Adults
Factors to consider:
Group size – as a rule, they tend to be smaller (e.g., 4-8 members)
Physical environment
Norms of the group (e.g., socialization outside the group)
Themes of growth and enhancement
Trust-building

8. Role of the Leader in Groups for Older Adults
Steps for prospective leaders working with older adults:
Read
Examine
Meet
Fantasize
Learn
Care
(Hawkins, 1983)

9. Groups for Caregivers of Older Adults
65 million Americans serve as caregivers for their sick, disabled, or infirm relatives (Vacha-Haase, 2014)
A number of different kinds of caregivers groups are available
They primarily attempt to provide members with information and support (Kennedy & Tanenbaum, 2000)
They are preventative in nature – they affirm, support, and educate

10. Strengths of Groups for Older Adults
Provides an opportunity to develop interpersonal relationships
Gives its members an opportunity to try out different responses and initiate new behaviors
Provides opportunities for formal and applied learning
Can enhance self-concept (O’Brien et al., 1979)
Provide a series of checks and balances for those who participate in them

11. Can be labor intensive
Require leader to have specialized skills
In groups with members who are old-old, group members and leaders have to face real loss
Often have more limited goals than other groups
Group leaders and members will likely have to deal with the caregivers for other members. Many of these encounters are positive but they also can be a source of stress (Thomas & Martin, 2010)