title: Enhancing rehabilitation through mutual aid: outreach to people with recent amputations.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schachter
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Little
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Whylie
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Balogh
mesh_terms: 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