This paper describes the evaluation of a longitudinal peer-support program developed to address loneliness and isolation among low-income, urban community-dwelling older adults in San Francisco. Our objective was to determine barriers, challenges, and successful strategies in implementation of the program. In-depth qualitative interviews with clients (n = 15) and peers (n = 6) were conducted and analyzed thematically by program component. We identified barriers and challenges to engagement and outlined strategies used to identify clients, match them with peers, and provide support to both peers and clients. We found that peers played a flexible, non-clinical role and were perceived as friends. Connections to community resources helped when clients needed additional support. We also documented creative strategies used to maintain inter-personal connections during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study fills a gap in understanding how a peer-support program can be designed to address loneliness and social isolation, particularly in low-income, urban settings.

本文描述了对一项纵向同伴支持计划的评估，该计划旨在解决旧金山低收入、城市社区居住的老年人的孤独感和孤立感。我们的目标是确定项目实施过程中的障碍、挑战和成功策略。对客户（n = 15）和同行（n= 6) 按计划组成部分进行专题分析。我们确定了参与的障碍和挑战，并概述了用于识别客户、将其与同行匹配以及为同行和客户提供支持的策略。我们发现，同龄人扮演着灵活的、非临床的角色，并被视为朋友。当客户需要额外支持时，与社区资源的联系会有所帮助。我们还记录了在 COVID-19 大流行期间用于维持人际关系的创造性策略。这项研究填补了理解如何设计同伴支持计划来解决孤独和社会孤立的空白，特别是在低收入城市环境中。