Conception, Implementation and Evaluation of a Training Program of Adaptive Performance for Elderly Participants in Integration Courses

 

The research project 'Conception, Implementation and Evaluation of a training program of adaptive performance for elderly participants in integration measures' started at the 1st of April, 2013. The research project is funded by Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund and is scheduled to last 21 months. In cooperation with several vocational integration institutions - Verein für Soziale Bildungsarbeit Köln, Berufsförderungswerk Birkenfeld, bit gGmbH Oberhausen - a training program of adaptive performance for elderly participants of rehabilitation measures will be developed and evaluated.

One major success factor for participants of vocational integration measures is the ability to accordingly adapt to changing conditions and situations. However, adaptation seems to be more difficult for elderly participants than for younger ones. Therefore, the aim of the study is to determine whether an appropriate training program can positively affect adaptive performance of elderly participants, thereby enhancing vocational reintegration.

The research study is divided into two major parts. The first part of the project involves the investigation of adaptation difficulties of elderly participants. These will be investigated by means of expert interviews as well as workshops with participants of vocational integration measures.

Based on the results, the psychologists of the research institution RWTH Aachen will develop and carry out a training program about adaptive performance with a sample of 45 participants. The program will be evaluated with respect to practicability and participants’ acceptance and satisfaction. In the second part of the project, it will be investigated whether there are significant differences with regard to adaptive performance, willingness to change and flexibility in goal adjustment, between participants of the training program and a control group with 136 participants. Furthermore the reintegration success of participants and non-participants will be examined. Finally the practicability, acceptance and satisfaction of the training program will be evaluated again. A positive outcome of the training program for adaptive performance would suggest that the implementation of the training could not only reduce costs, but also leads to a higher quality standard of integration measures with an associated greater success of vocational reintegration.