Social Group Activities Research Articles

A Comparison of the Effects of Short-term Singing, Exercise, and Discussion Group Activities on the Emotional State and Social Connectedness of Older Australians

Choir membership has been shown to improve emotional states and facilitate social connectedness. It is, however, less clear whether these benefits are unique to group singing or are shared by other social group activities that include some of the characteristics of choirs other than singing, such as music listening and social interaction. This research compares older Australians who are members of either a choir that both produces and listens to music in a social context, an exercise group that incorporates music listening and movement with social interaction, or a current events discussion group with social interaction but no music content. Participants were administered emotional state and cohesion questionnaires at two test times, just prior to and immediately after the session, to determine the short-term (60–90 minutes) effects on emotional state and social cohesion as result of different social activities containing varying levels of music engagement. A two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed significant improvements in positive affect and cohesion scores, and a decrease in negative affect and tiredness scores, over time for all groups. The choir and exercise groups were also observed by two raters who recorded observable behaviors categorized using the circumplex model of emotion. Findings revealed that both groups demonstrated significant increases in Activated Pleasant (high positive affect, high arousal) behaviors over time, but with no differences between the two groups. Taken together, these studies suggest that well-being benefits are shared by self-selected leisure social group activities, and that the effects can be observed within a very short time frame using both self-report and behavioral measures. The authors suggest that future research incorporates suitable control groups into research designs to better articulate any unique benefits that group singing may confer.

Psychological perturbs among undergraduate medical students of public and private sector universities in Pakistan

Background: Most stressing curricula in the world at present is medical science; excess stress among students lead to a decrease in their performance due to physical as well psychological decline. The study under consideration was done for determination of the psychological stress that is perceived by the undergraduate medical students, to identify the stressors causing stress, domains in which it is more prevalent in students of various medical disciplines in Pakistan. Materials and Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study using Medical Students Stressor Questionnaire was carried on a sample of 300 students of various medical disciplines of public and private universities chosen by convenience sampling. Results: Across the various disciplines of medical education, more stress was found in the DPT students and least in the AHS students. The results reported the prevalence of stress 28.5% in DPT students, 24.2% in MBBS students, 23.7% in DHND students, and 23.6% in AHS students. Among the sectors, more stress level was found in public sector university students (77.6%) than private sector students (22.4%). The stressors causing more stress among the undergraduate medical students were identified to be the group activity-related stressor and social activity- related stressor. Conclusion: The study showed that the high prevalence of stress was found to be in the DPT students followed by the MBBS, DHND, and AHS. Stress was more prevalent in public sector medical students as compared to the private sector.

The Effect of Sport on the Level of Positivity and Well-Being in Adolescents Engaged in Sport Regularly

Sport, an element of universal culture, is a prominent tool that brings individuals with different languages, races and religions together. Sport is generally defined as activities that positively affect the psychological health of people and bring about social and moral benefits besides its physical benefits. Mental well-being is defined as the individual's awareness of their own abilities, their abilities to overcome stress in life, being productive and useful in business life and contributing to community via the their ability (WHO, 2004). Positivity is defined as the main determinant of subjective well-being and is expressed as a tendency to evaluate all aspects of life that is already good. This study aimed to investigate whether sport is effective on mental well-being and positivity. In the study pre-test, post-test experimental design with control group was used and “Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being (WEMWBS)” scale developed by Tennant et al. (2007), which was adapted into Turkish by Keldal (2015) and “The Positivity Scale” scale developed by Caprara and et al. (2012), and adapted into Turkish by Çıkrıkçı, Çiftçi and Gençdoğan (2015) were used as the data collection tools. When the original form of mental wellbeing scale compared with its version adapted into Turkish are compared, the reliability coefficient Cronbach Alpha was found to be as .92. On the other hand, the internal consistency coefficient for the Positivity Scale was found to be .75 and its test-retest reliability coefficient was found to be .91. As parametric assumptions are met, Variance Analysis, Tukey test, Paired-Samples t-test was used. For the analysis of data obtained through counting, Chi Square was used and level of significance was taken as 0.05. The study group is composed by forming 3 groups of 20 students from 10th grade students. The groups were equalled in terms of some variables like age, gender, sports background etc. The groups were called as the sports activities group, social activities group and the control group. While the participants in the experimental group were engaged in regular and scheduled sports activities including training and contests, the participants in the social activities group engaged in regular social activities. The participants in the control group led their routine lives. After a period of 10 weeks, the tests given at the beginning of the study were administrated again, and test scores of the students in all three groups were compared.According to the results of the study, when the pre-test and post-test positivity scores of the individuals in all three groups were compared, the differences between the groups were not found to be insignificant (p>0.05). When post-test mental well-being scores were compared, the difference was found significant (p<0.05). It was seen that the source of difference was between the sports activities group and the control group.In terms of positivity scores, the difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the sports activities group and the social activity group was found to be insignificant (p>0.05). There was a decrease in the positivity scores of the control group from the pre-test to post-test and difference was found significant (p<0.05). When the pre-test and post-test mental well-being scores of the three groups were compared, the differences between measurements were found significant (p<0.05). While there was an increase in mental well-being scores of the sports activities group and of the social activities group, it was seen that there was a decrease in those of the control group. No significant difference was found in mental well-being and positivity scores of the participants in terms of gender and academic achievement (p>0.05).

For how many days and what types of group activities should older Japanese adults be involved in to maintain health? A 4-year longitudinal study.

ObjectiveStudies have suggested that frequent participation in social groups contributes to the well-being of older people. The primary aim of this study was to identify the number of days older adults should participate in the activities of social groups to maintain their health for 4 years. This study also aimed to examine whether the effective frequency differs by the type of social group activity.MethodWe examined a prospective cohort of 1,320 community-dwelling older adults over 65 years of age, who responded to both a baseline and a follow-up mail survey, in a suburban city of Tokyo, Japan. The dependent variable was the change in functional competence during 4 years. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the effects of participation in the activities of the 5 most common social groups among older Japanese on maintaining functional competence.ResultsNine hundred and ninety-four participants (76.5%) maintained their functional competence for 4 years. The results of the logistic regression analyses showed that participating in alumni groups less than once a month and being an inactive member were associated with higher odds of maintaining functional competence, after controlling for socioeconomic, demographic and baseline health status. Additionally, the odds of maintaining functional competence for 4 years increased upon participating in volunteer groups once a month or more. These results were also confirmed using logistic regression analysis, even after adjustment for the effects of participation in other social groups.DiscussionThe results indicated the effectiveness of volunteer activities that fulfill a social role in maintaining health. Therefore, older adults should be encouraged to participate in activities of volunteer groups at least once a month. Additionally, older adults can obtain positive health outcomes through less frequent participation in alumni groups, compared with the activities of volunteer groups.

One man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist: a selected overview of the psychoanalytic and group analytic study of terrorism

This paper is an attempt to understand the significant increase in terrorism worldwide following the 9/11 Al-Quaida bombings which triggered the Bush Administration’s “war on terror”, leading to two wars and ultimately to the emergence of Daesh. I explore the motivation for social violence as terrorism, which can be carried out by the state or by its citizens, and look at how one man’s freedom fighter is another’s terrorist. The paper looks at why seemingly ordinary people are converted into ‘homegrown’ jihadists and how alienation and shame are the driving forces of violence. I give a selected overview of psychoanalytical ideas that try to make sense of the unconscious roots of aggression, hatred and violence. As terrorism is a social activity group analysis has an important contribution to make in understanding the violence of large groupings. The media has a crucial role to play as sensationalist coverage of violence provides terrorists with a free media platform. Both the media and terrorists need an audience and feed off each other. This paper will explore these themes.

DELIVERING COGNITIVE STIMULATION WITH TECHNOLOGY

Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST: Spector, et al., 2003) is a group-based activity for people with dementia using artefacts and music to prompt social interaction that has been shown to deliver significant improvement in cognitive function (+0.9 on MMSE) and quality of life (+1.3 QOL-AD). CIRCA (Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid) is an interactive, multimedia (photographs, music, videos) system to support conversation between people living with dementia and care partners (Astell, et al., 2010). The potential of CIRCA to deliver cognitively stimulating group-based activities has not previously been explored. One hundred people living with dementia are being recruited from 11 sites across Sheffield, UK. Half are using the existing standalone CIRCA device and half a new web-based version. Pre-, post- and three-month follow-up primary outcome measure: Addenbrookes Cognitive Examination-III (ACE-III /100), with QOL-AD (scores 13–52) and EQ-5D (/100) as secondary measures. Thirty-three participants (5M, 28F), 29 living in residential care, have completed the 8-session programme and three-month follow up using standalone CIRCA. They were aged between 69–96 years (mean 85.4) with mean ACE-III scores at baseline of 44.8, mean QOL-AD 30.9 and mean EQ-5D 62.87. Preliminary analysis revealed a significant improvement in cognitive function over the three time points, F(2,64) =4.43, p=0.01), with significant increases from baseline to post-intervention (t=-1.62, p=0.05) which was maintained at 3-month follow up (t=-2.73, p=0.005). There was also a significant increase in quality of life scores over the three time points F(2,64) =4.76, p=-0.01. The data so far support the utility of CIRCA as a tool for facilitating group social activities for people living with dementia, including those with significant cognitive impairment (lower ACE-III scores). Participation in the group sessions lead to improved cognitive scores which were maintained at three months follow up, along with improved quality of life similar to those reported for CST.

Positive and negative associations of individual social capital factors with health among community-dwelling older people.

Previous literature has found positive correlations between social capital and health in older adults, fewer studies have investigated the subdimension's effects of social capital on health. We aimed to determine the individual social capital subfactors in community-dwelling older adults in Japan, and to analyze the associations of these factors with physical and mental health. We sent a self-administered questionnaire assessing their perception of social group activity as the individual social capital, and mental and physical health (measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36) to 4320 randomly selected older people. There were 1836 valid responses. We clarified that people who participated in any social activity group were in significantly better physical and mental health compared with the people who did not. By the factor analysis of the perception for the social group activity, we identified three components of the individual social capital aspect that we termed harmonious, hierarchic and diversity. Using multiple linear regression, we found the hierarchic aspect was significantly negatively associated with mental health, whereas the harmonious aspect was significantly positively associated with mental and physical health, and diversity was significantly positively associated with mental health. As the previous research literature on social capital has mainly emphasized its positive health consequences, the present findings provide a novel demonstration that some aspects of individual social capital can have negative associations with health outcomes in community-dwelling older people. For the practical application of promoting a healthier society, it is important to consider both the positive and negative sides of social capital. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2427-2434.

Peri-Peri Original: the expansion decision in Pakistan

Subject area Marketing of Services, Brand Management. Study level/applicability Graduate (MBA), Services Marketing Course. Case overview The case highlights growth challenges faced by a fast food brand named Peri-Peri Original in a developing country context of Pakistan. The major presence of the brand is in two major cities of Pakistan – Karachi and Lahore where mostly youth and families are the target markets of this brand. However, there is no unique element in the minds of the target market because the brand faces a differentiation challenge in the realm of strong global competition from McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). The management team at Peri-Peri has several environmental challenges to face as well. Internally, the brand is confused with its close competitor Nando’s as people perceive these two brands as the same. Second, there is growing concern among social activist groups and families in Pakistan that fast food consumption is causing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity among children. On the contrary, the global fast food chains especially McDonald’s and KFC are on top of the mind in the consideration set. With these challenges and concerns in mind, the brand team has two options on the table. One is to geographically extend the brand to other cities whereas the other option is to use the same outlets and dedicate a portion to the kids’ market segment to increase product variety and ultimately the store traffic. It is noticeable that the brand has a reputation of excellence in service quality; the employees are motivated and Peri-Peri have retained their staff over a period of time. Furthermore, the brand is a small scale restaurant with only limited budget and focused product mix which is its core spirit of branding – the chicken grilled in Mozambican sauces and a service attitude which no one can demonstrate; in a way, Peri-Peri is approaching to grow its brand equity. Expected learning outcomes To understand the brand positioning of developing countries’ organizations facing a growth challenge in a service environment. To understand the concept and application of Services Tangibility spectrum. To understand the decision-making process managers have to face when dealing with brand extension decisions. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.

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Exercise or Social Intervention for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia: A Pilot Randomized, Controlled Trial.

To compare the effects of exercise with those of a structured nonphysical intervention on ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and physical and cognitive function of persons with dementia (PWDs) living in nursing homes (NH). Cluster-randomized pilot-controlled trial. Seven French NHs. PWDs living in NHs. NHs were randomized to an exercise group (4 NHs, n=47) or structured social activity group (3 NHs, n=50) for a 24-week intervention performed twice per week for 60minutes per session. The main endpoint was ADL performance (Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study Activities of Daily Living Inventory for Severe Alzheimer's Disease Scale (ADCS-ADL-sev); range 0-54, higher is better); secondary endpoints were overall cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)) and performance-based tests of physical function (Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), usual gait speed). Ninety-one participants with at least one postbaseline ADL assessment were included in efficacy analysis. Groups differed at baseline in terms of sex, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and nutritional status. Multilevel analysis adjusted for baseline differences between groups found no significant difference between effects of exercise and social activity (group-by-time interaction), with adjusted mean differences at 6months of 1.9 points for ADCS-ADL-sev and 0.55 points for MMSE favoring social activity and 0.6 points for SPPB and 0.05m/s favoring exercise. Adverse events did not differ between groups, except that the social activity group had more falls than the exercise group. A larger, longer trial is required to determine whether exercise has greater health benefits thannonphysical interventions for institutionalized PWDs.

Steps Toward Technology Design to Beat Health Inequality - Participatory Design Walks in a Neighbourhood with High Health Risks.

This paper explores participatory design walks (PD walks) as a first step toward a participatory design of health information technology (HIT) aimed at tackling health inequality in a neighbourhood identified as a high-risk health area. Existing research shows that traditional methods for health promotion, such as campaigns and teaching, have little to no effect in high-risk health areas. Rather, initiatives must be locally anchored - integrated into the local culture, and based on social relationships and group activities. This paper explains how we conducted PD walks with residents and community workers in the neighbourhood and how this participatory approach supported a first step toward HIT design that tackles health inequality. This is important, as people in neighbourhoods with high health risks are not the target audience for the health technology innovation currently taking place despite the fact that this group suffers the most from health inequality and weigh most on the public healthcare services and costs. The study identifies social and cultural aspects that influence everyday health management and presents how a citizen-driven approach like PD walks, can contribute valuable insights for design of HIT. The paper provides concrete methodological recommendations on how to conduct PD walks that are valuable to HIT designers and developers who aim to do PD with neighbourhoods.

Social Construction of Cyanobacteria Blooms in Quebec

Using a political ecology perspective, this research examines the social issues of cyanobacteria. In Québec (Canada), public health officials issue warnings concerning water-related activities and water consumption. An ethnographic study was undertaken with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the attitudes of citizens toward cyanobacteria and public health measures. It enabled us to identify both the meanings attached to this phenomenon and the other driving forces behind the attitudes and, in particular, toward compliance with measures prescribed by the authorities. Focus groups and semidirected individual interviews involving several groups of social actors were conducted in 2009 and 2010 on three communities. This study points to the importance of considering natural phenomena such as the proliferation of cyanobacteria as sociocultural constructs, because this approach can be applied to address the impacts of such phenomena from a different perspective and therefore improve management practices to reduce these impacts.

Влияние духовно-нравственных ценностей молодежи на формирование гражданской культуры российского общества

The authors conducted a sociological analysis of the spiritual and moral values of the youth and their impact on the civil culture, which largely determines the forms of individual and group social activity and the functioning of social institutions. The implementation of the key function of values, i.e. the achievement of material goods and the spiritual development, to a certain extent, will allow to overcome the cultural gap between elites and common citizens, which is considered one of the main reasons for the failure of reforms in Russia. The study of transformation processes determined great interest in the social potential of the youth as a subject of social reproduction, and the civil culture is a key factor and element of modernization for it changes and activates value orientations of the younger generations and leads to the qualitative transformations of all spheres of society. The article is based on the empirical data of a number of sociological surveys conducted in 2016 in five cities of the south of the Tyumen Region. The empirical data prove that there is an obvious emerging shift from paternalistic expectations, passivity and low estimates of the future to the rationality, individualization and self-reliance. The authors emphasize the influence of mass media as one of the factors of the civil culture formation, which is evident in the impact of media on the moral and spiritual values of the younger generations.

The Establishment of Social Entrepreneurship Movements as A Response to The Transformation of Governments' Social Policies (The Case of Four EAEU Countries)

Objective - This article summarizes research into the social entrepreneurship movement based on databases which include respondents from the following countries: the Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan and Russian Federation. This article tries to relate the efficiency of social policy to social issues. Methodology/Technique - We selected 180 acting social enterprises and 36 from 4 post-soviet countries and conducted interviews and observations to create a database. Based on defined key criteria, different types of social actors were classified and grouped. Findings - The findings indicate that state funding for social services and social protection has fallen dramatically due to a sharp decline in GDP and in the residual shares of GDP allocated for social policy. Our analysis indicates that countries which experienced a transformation of government social policy have a greater variety of social actors. Through the database, we were able to define and classify 8 typical groups of social actors. Two of them - social activists and social reformers - can help a nation to create a new stable system for target social groups. Novelty - Originality of the findings of this article. Type of Paper: Empirical Keywords: Social entrepreneurship; social reformer; social activists, social policy; problem solution; social groups; social issues

The effects of the music-with-movement intervention on the cognitive functions of people with moderate dementia: a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACTObjective: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the six-week music-with-movement (MM) intervention, as compared with music listening (ML) and social activity (SA), on the cognitive functions of people with moderate dementia over time.Methods: A multi-center randomized controlled trial was conducted on 165 nursing home residents with moderate dementia. The MM intervention protocol was developed based on a critical literature review, and tested in three rounds of pilot studies before undergoing testing in this study. The participants were randomly allocated into three groups. Intervention participants (n = 58) received a 12-week MM program led by a trained health care professional, while the participants in the comparison ML group (n = 54) listened to their preferred music, and those in the SA group (n = 53) engaged in social chatting. Cognitive functions, depressive symptoms, and anxiety were measured at baseline, the sixth week, and six weeks post-intervention.Results: Greater improvements in memory and depressive symptoms for the MM group were revealed in the univariate analysis and pairwise comparisons. The effects on memory could last for at least six weeks post-intervention. However, a mixed multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) analysis indicated that there were no significant interactions of group by time effectConclusion: The findings revealed that the MM intervention may be useful for enhancing the cognitive functions of people with dementia. However, there is insufficient evidence to show that the effects of the MM intervention on outcome variables over time significantly different from those observed among the comparison groups.

Promoting Healthy Cognitive Aging: A Systematic Review and Analysis

<div><p><em>Promoting healthy cognitive aging within social work has been raised over the years, but the effectiveness of many preventions and interventions in healthy aging brain has been questioned because of the lack of the evidence. </em><em>The purpose of the study is to carry out a scientific research review and analysis related to healthy cognitive aging brain and professional social work. This study reviewed major trends in the health care in cognitive aging environment which impacts on social work education, practice, and research including a shift from in-patient to community care setting and increasing diversity of the older adult population. </em><em>A systematic review was conducted to determine the effectiveness of promoting healthy cognitive aging that target mild-cognitive impairment and screening among older-adults. In this scientific literature review, quantitative and qualitative outcome studies between 1989 and 2016 were reviewed. The researcher found that educational and social activity group interventions that can ease social isolation and loneliness among older adults. However, the effectiveness of home visiting remains unclear. The study also was completed to address a growing area of cognitive aging brain concern and implication for health care providers and professionals. Overall research findings support positive effects of social and family support, early mild-cognitive screening, quality of social network, healthy choice eating, and physical and mental activity in improving healthy mild-cognitive aging. </em></p></div>

Los usos del Holocausto en Argentina Apuntes sobre las apropiaciones y resignificaciones de la memoria del genocidio nazi

The suggestion of any similarity between the Holocaust and other historical experiences has instigated many debates within the public sphere in the last decades. While some actors reject any kind of comparison of the Holocaust arguing this leads to its trivialization, others contend that the comparative approach is a legitimate tool to understanding contemporary problems. Besides those stances, the study of both the memories and the public and political uses of the Holocaust reveals how a large group of social actors have managed to link the past and the present in various contexts. This paper offers and historical perspective of the Holocaust memory and its “uses” in Argentina, focusing on four key stages: the period that was coincident with the extermination of the Jews in Europe; the 1960s, when polemic uses of the Holocaust emerged in association with the problems of anti-Semitism and the conflict in the Middle East; the stages of dictatorship and the recovery of democracy, when the Holocaust became a global metaphor for the violation of human rights and a parameter to contrast dictatorial anti-Semitism and its repressive procedures.

Quem avalia resiliência e qual resiliência vale? Reflexões sobre a aplicação do Manual de Avaliação da Resiliência em uma fronteira Amazônica contestada

The Brazilian Amazon is a complex social-ecological system, the management of which includes diverse groups of social actors whose values and interests influence decision making and outcomes. Such management requires leaders who appreciate the multiple knowledge systems and historical land occupation trajectories that have shaped this region. Twenty-three emerging leaders from universities, government agencies, the private sector, and social movement organizations participated in a two-year Specialization Course in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Course participants applied the Resilience Assessment (RA) Workbook for Practitioners to analyze three livelihood sub-systems within the municipality of Cotriguacu. This paper offers reflections on the utility of the RA workbook as a tool for bridging multiple stakeholders’ knowledge, identities, power and interests in collaborative social-ecological management. Our experience points to the risks of conducting expert-led RAs in regions dominated by historical legacies of oppression, weak institutions, and limited governance.

Migrant entrepreneurs as cosmopolitan change agents

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to provide novel insights into how the cosmopolitan mind-set can be fostered at a time of globalization by considering a group of social actors that has received scant attention in the literature on institutional change, notably migrant entrepreneurs.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual study that draws on Bourdieu’s theory of capital to develop a set of testable propositions as to how the economic, cultural, social and symbolic capital endowments of migrant entrepreneurs shape their agency in bringing about cosmopolitan transformation.FindingsTogether, migrant entrepreneurs endowed with higher levels of capital may act as institution reformers and promote the cosmopolitan mind-set by influencing the beliefs, incentives and behaviors of those embedded in more entrenched traditional institutions.Research limitations/implicationsThis conceptual framework deals with only one of the many agents that may help bring about cosmopolitan change and is particularly well suited to a Western European context.Practical implicationsThis conceptual paper provides a number of testable propositions that can be central to an empirical investigation into how the levels of capital possessed by migrant entrepreneurs affect their engagement in cosmopolitan change.Social implicationsThe findings help identify those individuals who are more likely to endorse the cosmopolitan movement. This implication may be of particular interest to policymakers concerned with conceiving ways of counteracting some of the negative effects caused by globalization, as they need to identify and understand the social agents who can take on the role of catalyzers of public reforms.Originality/valueThe novelty of this paper lies in the development of a set of propositions that shows how divergent change toward a cosmopolitan vision might be engendered by spatially dispersed actors endowed with varying degrees of economic, cultural, social and symbolic capital.

Psychological Distress and Help-Seeking by Residents of a Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NNORC)

ABSTRACTThis article presents findings from an annual program survey of residents of a horizontal neighborhood naturally occurring retirement community (NNORC). The study explored the relationship between several factors (age, co-residents, number of chronic illnesses, self-reported health, loneliness, sense of mastery, locus of control, pain, and psychological distress) and their ability to predict general health, level of psychological distress, and the quantity and type of help-seeking behaviors. Although residents generally reported moderate to high levels of chronic disease, pain, loneliness, and concerns about life issues, 25% of them sought no help from any of the listed resources, and 65% sought help from only one of seven resources. The most common source of help for most (70%) was a primary care physician (PCP), and comparatively few respondents sought help from other sources. Older adults, especially those with chronic illness, generally consider their PCP to be the first, and perhaps only, source to consult. However, research indicates that the most effective health promotional programs for older adults are social and educational group activities, rather than individual health-focused interventions. Possible means of redirecting residents toward NNORC services include more vigorous outreach and creating collaborative partnerships between local PCPs serving older populations and the NNORC.