Older adults' satisfaction with the Neighbors Helping Neighbors program

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the satisfaction of older adults in the services they receive from the Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) program – a program designed to assist older adults to remain independent in their homes and communities.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire examining various domains of service was developed and administered to 49 older adults who had been receiving assistance from NHN for at least six months.FindingsFindings revealed that 87 percent (41) of the participants were satisfied with services and believed that NHN helped them remain independent in the community.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was a cross‐sectional design and did not look at change over time based on a pre/post test research design. Therefore, no causation can be implied. Another limitation is that the study was conducted internally by NHN; program participants may have responded in a socially desirable way in order not to reflect negatively on the program.Practical implicationsFindings from this study may have implications for developing sustainable home‐ and community‐based support programs for older adults.Social implicationsWith the aging of societies and cutbacks in government social services, it is important to examine how the needs of aging citizens can be met.Originality/valueThe paper shows that the NHN model is innovative in its use of students, community‐building approaches, and volunteers in meeting the needs of older adults. The NHN program provides an innovative model that can be replicated by other universities or other community‐based organizations around the country.