Enhancing rehabilitation through mutual aid: outreach to people with recent amputations.
Social workers in a rehabilitation hospital established an outreach service through which volunteers with previous amputations visited patients with recent amputations, acting as role models and offering emotional support and information. Volunteers received in-depth training and continued with their own system of support. Patients who were visited had strong positive responses to the program. Critical components of the program were developing a collaborative partnership between volunteers and social workers; demonstrating credibility to health care professionals; linking emotional support, information, and affirmation; providing benefits to both patient and volunteer; and strengthening linkages among patient, community, and institution.
Wells
L M
LM
Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Schachter
B
B
Little
S
S
Whylie
B
B
Balogh
P A
PA
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000674:Amputees / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012944:Social Support; D014838:Volunteers