Canadian Journal on Aging 2022
Social isolation and loneliness in long-term care settings are a growing concern. Drawing on concepts of social citizenship, a peer mentoring program was developed in which resident mentors and volunteers formed a team, met weekly for training, and paired up to visit isolated residents. This article explores the experiences of the resident mentors. As part of a larger mixed-methods study conducted in 10 sites in Canada, mentors were interviewed (n = 48) and data analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Three inter-related themes were identified: Helping others, helping ourselves described the personal benefits experienced through adopting a helping role; Building a bigger social world encapsulated new connections with those visited, and; Facing challenges, learning together described how mentors dealt with challenges as a team. These findings suggest that a structured approach to mentoring benefits residents and helps them feel confident taking on a role supporting their isolated peers.