Research on the use of paraprofessionals and trained volunteers for visitation programs with elders is limited. To determine the effects of a visitation program on nursing home residents and their college student and elder visitors, and to explore the effectiveness of special training for such visitation, nursing home residents (N=25) visited with 12 trained or 13 less trained college student visitors for 7 weeks. Of those residents, four visited with trained community elders for the next 7 weeks. Statistical analyses showed that residents' depression and self-esteem improved significantly over the first period, and regressed to pretest levels in the next. A measure of counseling skills supported the effectiveness of training since trained students showed greater skills, and residents' increase in self-esteem correlated significantly with visitors' counseling skills. Students improved significantly in counseling skills, knowledge of aging, and attitudes toward elders. Elder visitors improved significantly in knowledge of aging. (WAS)