Self-Help Support Groups For Older Women: Rebuilding Elder Networks Through Personal Empowerment

by Kaye,Lenard W.

• ISBN13: 9781560324614
• ISBN10: 1560324619
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-08-01
• Publisher: Taylor & Franci

Summary

This work is based upon a research study whose purpose was to collect new information about the special benefits and drawbacks of formal organizations' efforts at social network building for older women. It provides scientific evidence to assess self-help programming for this group.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi	(2)
Contributors	xiii	(2)
Preface	xv
1 Aging and the Older Woman	1	(14)
A Profile of Aging Women in the United States	1	(1)
Informal Supports and Living Arrangements	2	(3)
Physical and Mental Health	5	(2)
Labor Force Participation and Retirement	7	(2)
Economics	9	(2)
Ethnic and Racial Minorities	11	(3)
Conclusion	14	(1)
2 Informal Support Networks and Self-Help	15	(12)
Informal Support Networks	15	(1)
Support Systems and Minorities	16	(1)
Self-Help Groups as Social Support	17	(1)
Self-Help Groups	17	(9)
Conclusion	26	(1)
3 A Story of Empowerment: The Case of the SOWN Program	27	(10)
Merle Drake
Andrea D'Asaro
The Power of Group Membership	27	(1)
What Does SOWN Do?	28	(1)
SOWN's Self-Help Philosophy	29	(1)
Aging as a Women's Issue	30	(1)
Funding and Organization	31	(1)
Who Comes to SOWN?	31	(1)
Group Structure and Facilitation	32	(1)
The Volunteer Connection	33	(1)
Networking	33	(1)
The Power of Support Manual	34	(1)
Conclusion: The National Support Center and the Future	34	(3)
4 Characteristics of Older Women and Peer Facilitators in Self-Help Groups	37	(12)
How the Research Was Performed	37	(1)
The Approach to Collecting Information in the Philadelphia Area	38	(2)
Antecedents of the Project	40	(1)
The Qualitative Interviews	40	(1)
What Was Learned	41	(1)
A Demographic Profile of SOWN Group Members	42	(5)
A Demographic Profile of SOWN Group Facilitators	47	(1)
Conclusion	48	(1)
5 The Organization of Self-Help Group Programs	49	(14)
Organizational Profile of SOWN	49	(3)
Starting Up and Maintaining SOWN Groups	52	(2)
The SOWN Training Function	54	(1)
Description of a Typical SOWN Meeting	55	(6)
Conclusion	61	(2)
6 Patterns of Participation and the Personal Process of Group Self-Help	63	(12)
Involvement and Participation Patterns of Group Members	63	(4)
Quality of the Facilitators' Experience	67	(1)
Facilitator and Member Participation Patterns in Socialization Outside of the SOWN Meetings	68	(2)
Effects of Diversity on the Group	70	(1)
Older Women's Perceptions of Self-Help	71	(1)
Group Facilitators' Perceptions of the Leadership Role	72	(2)
Conclusion: Final Comments about the SOWN Experience	74	(1)
7 Impact of Self-Help Groups	75	(12)
Quality of the Group Experience	75	(4)
Benefits of the Group Experience for Members	79	(4)
SOWN's Effectiveness in Dealing with Facilitators' and Members' Major Life Changes	83	(1)
SOWN as a Meaningful Experience for the Older Woman	84	(1)
Conclusion	85	(2)
8 Self-Help Support Group Programs in the United States	87	(18)
The Approach to Collecting the Information	88	(2)
Findings from the National Survey	90	(1)
Characteristics of the Women Served	91	(1)
Group Strategies and Methods	92	(3)
Functions and Responsibilities of Group Leaders	95	(1)
Peer Facilitation Programs and Training	96	(3)
Content of Self-Help Group Sessions	99	(1)
Establishing Group Procedures	100	(3)
Conclusion	103	(2)
9 Issues and Practice Principles Arising from an Archetypal Self-Help Group	105	(12)
Instigating Factors in Group Formation	105	(1)
The Logistics of Group Development	106	(1)
Outreach and Marketing Strategies	107	(1)
Group Facilitation	108	(1)
The Development of Ground Rules	109	(6)
Conclusion	115	(2)
10 Recommendations for Promoting the Effectiveness of Self-Help Support Groups	117	(14)
Conclusions and Recommendations Drawn from the Philadelphia Analysis	117	(5)
Conclusions and Recommendations Drawn from the National Survey	122	(5)
Epilogue	127	(4)
References	131	(18)
Appendix A Techniques Used to Analyze Project Information and Determine Representativeness of Project Participants	141	(2)
Appendix B Where to Turn for Information	143	(6)
Index	149