The impact of the senior companion program on quality of life outcomes for frail older adults and their families.

The Senior Companion Quality of Care Evaluation assessed the impact of a federally funded senior volunteer program on quality of life outcomes for frail clients and their families. Telephone interviews were conducted with national samples of frail Senior Companion Program (SCP) clients, family members, and comparison group participants. Multivariate procedures were used to examine study outcomes. SCP clients benefited significantly from the program at 3 months, though fewer positive effects were reported at 9 months. SCP family members benefited only modestly from the program. The SCP has been considered a low-cost way of matching the needs of community-based frail older adults with the skills of senior volunteers. Now, it has been shown to have some favorable effects on client well-being. These findings may take on greater significance given the desire to expand the SCP through the USA Freedom Corps Initiative.