It Gave Me Somebody Else to Think About Besides Myself: Caring Callers Volunteer Experiences With a Telephone-Based Reassurance Program for Socially Isolated Older Adults.

The Caring Callers Program was developed as a telephone-based intervention utilizing Senior Companion volunteers to reach older adults at greater risk for loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. This pilot program consisted of trained volunteers who provided supportive, weekly calls as well as community resources with their Caring Callers clients. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the experiences of Senior Companion volunteers in the Caring Callers Program through the lens of productive aging. We completed semi-structured interviews with 18 Caring Callers volunteers. We used Rapid and Rigorous Qualitative Date Analysis (RADaR) which yielded four themes: (1) reciprocity; (2) purposeful use of time; (3) learning new skills; and (4) gaining perspective. Our findings provide insight for gerontological researchers examining volunteering as a productive aging activity and offer strategies for designing peer-led, telephone-based interventions to promote social connectedness in an unprecedented time.

STUDENTS AND EDUCATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: STUDY AND PERSPECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic has grown a worldwide health concern and has imposed a significant impact on education. As a result, halfway through the second semester of 2019/2020, learning methods were delivered through distance learning (DL). The purpose of the paper is to study the specifics of online education during the Covid-19 pandemic. A comprehensive diagnostic study of the psychological characteristics of students included the following methods: the test of life-meaning orientations (LMO), adapted by D.A. Leontiev (2006), diagnostics of the motivational structure of personality. Based on the results of the conducted empirical research, duration of study influenced student preference. Plus, Higher number of first-year students preferred DL compared to their seniors. Notwithstanding some challenges, students could adjust to the new education methods of full DL, and the majority recognized combined learning that combined classroom and distance learning can be performed subsequently. The COVID-19 pandemic transforms the application of technology in education and teaching approaches in the near future.