Group intervention with institutionalised older persons

Abstract

The number of older people in South Africa is increasing. This demands an increase in services by, inter alia, social workers and services by and within religious settings because of the special needs and challenges related to this particular life phase. Group work with older people can assist in creating an awareness of potential and areas for growth as well as assisting with the challenges of growing older. The article discusses a research study with the goal to explore and describe the experiences of group members of a group for institutionalised older persons. A qualitative research study with a collective case study design was utilised to gain insight into the experiences of the individuals within the group and the experiences of the group as a whole. Semi-structured one-on-one interviews were employed as the primary data collection method. Although on a small scale, this research study provides guidelines for group intervention with older people, which allows them to view their lives as meaningful, share personal experiences and problems and realise that they are not alone in their difficulties.