Volunteer Listeners as Co-Producers of Knowledge: Exploring the Lived Experience of Older People's Social Isolation through Peer Research
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| Title: | Volunteer Listeners as Co-Producers of Knowledge: Exploring the Lived Experience of Older People's Social Isolation through Peer Research |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Louise Warwick-Booth (ORCID |
| Source: | Educational Action Research. 2025 33(1):190-206. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 17 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Older Adults, Social Isolation, Community Services, Peer Counseling, Peer Relationship, Volunteers, Social Support Groups, Participatory Research, Helping Relationship, Health Activities |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom (England) |
| DOI: | 10.1080/09650792.2024.2381707 |
| ISSN: | 0965-0792 1747-5074 |
| Abstract: | Social isolation and loneliness are reported as having significant impacts on health, especially for older people. Policy concern has led to the creation of interventions to try and tackle these issues, including the funding of community-based support groups. The National Lottery Ageing Better Fund, 2015-2022 supported voluntary and community sector projects across England, to work with people aged 50 and over to reduce social isolation and loneliness, through the delivery of area-based activities. One organisation, adopted and implemented a peer research model named Volunteer Listeners, designed and executed by older people as part of their approach to their local evaluation of National Lottery funded projects. This paper documents the peer research model used, its challenges, and its successes, to add to the evidence base about the reality of using participatory approaches, specifically with and for older people researching a health and social care related topic. There are very few published studies discussing how and why older people become involved in evaluation work as peer researchers. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1458957 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | Social isolation and loneliness are reported as having significant impacts on health, especially for older people. Policy concern has led to the creation of interventions to try and tackle these issues, including the funding of community-based support groups. The National Lottery Ageing Better Fund, 2015-2022 supported voluntary and community sector projects across England, to work with people aged 50 and over to reduce social isolation and loneliness, through the delivery of area-based activities. One organisation, adopted and implemented a peer research model named Volunteer Listeners, designed and executed by older people as part of their approach to their local evaluation of National Lottery funded projects. This paper documents the peer research model used, its challenges, and its successes, to add to the evidence base about the reality of using participatory approaches, specifically with and for older people researching a health and social care related topic. There are very few published studies discussing how and why older people become involved in evaluation work as peer researchers. |
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| ISSN: | 0965-0792 1747-5074 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/09650792.2024.2381707 |
