I Live Alone but Don't Feel Alone: Social Isolation and Loneliness From the Patient Perspective

Bedard-Thomas, Julia; Gausvik, Christian; Wessels, Jonathan; Regan, Saundra; Goodnow, Keesha; Goroncy, Anna

doi:10.17294/2330-0698.1715

Cited by 18 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Both are associated with poor health outcomes including comorbid conditions ( 1 ), cognitive decline ( 2 , 3 ), and mortality ( 4 ). Homebound older adults, comprising 8.3% of community-dwelling older adults in the United States ( 5 ), are especially at risk of social isolation and loneliness due to mobility limitations caused by chronic illness, cognitive decline, or injury ( 6 , 7 ). In fact, being homebound and socially isolated have a synergistic effect on increasing risk of mortality ( 8 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Technology Training Program to Alleviate Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Homebound Older Adults: A Community Case Study

Jiménez

Brazier

Davoodi

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite substantial evidence of the negative health consequences of social isolation and loneliness and the outsized impact on older adults, evidence on which interventions are most effective in alleviating social isolation and loneliness is inconclusive. Further complicating the translation of evidence into practice is the lack of studies assessing implementation and scalability considerations for socialization programs delivered by community-based organizations (CBOs). Our primary objective was to describe the implementation barriers, facilitators, and lessons learned from an information and communication technology (ICT) training program aimed at reducing social isolation and loneliness for homebound older adults in a home-delivered meals program. Participants received in-home, one-on-one ICT training lessons delivered by volunteers over a 14-week period with the goal of increasing social technology use. To assess implementation facilitators and barriers, 23 interviews were conducted with program staff (n = 2), volunteers (n = 3), and participants (n = 18). Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Aspects that facilitated implementation included the organization's existing relationship with clientele, an established infrastructure to deliver community-based interventions, alignment of intervention goals with broader organizational aims, and funding to support dedicated program staff. Challenges to implementation included significant program staff time and resources, coordinating data sharing efforts across multiple project partners, participant and volunteer recruitment, and interruptions due to COVID-19. Implications of these facilitators and barriers for scalability of community-based ICT training interventions for older adults are described. Lessons learned include identifying successful participant and volunteer recruitment strategies based on organizational capacity and existing recruitment avenues; using a targeted approach to identify potential participants; incorporating flexibility into intervention design when working with the homebound older adult population; and monitoring the participant-volunteer relationship through volunteer-completed reports to mitigate issues. Findings from this formative evaluation provide insight on strategies CBOs can employ to overcome challenges associated with implementing technology training programs to reduce social isolation and loneliness for older adults, and thus improve overall well-being for homebound older adults. Recommendations can be integrated into program design to facilitate implementation of ICT programs in the community setting.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Technology Training Program to Alleviate Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Homebound Older Adults: A Community Case Study

Jiménez

Brazier

Davoodi

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A second article published within this issue, by Bedard-Thomas et al, describes the perception of social isolation and loneliness among homebound patients receiving primary care in their places of residence. 2 Factors leading to social isolation included decreased mobility, inconvenience of travel with assist devices, and reliance on relatives who may have competing demands. 2 While one could question the generalizability of the findings from these single-institution studies, I suggest that most individuals with personal knowledge of these populations would agree that the identified themes ring true.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 Factors leading to social isolation included decreased mobility, inconvenience of travel with assist devices, and reliance on relatives who may have competing demands. 2 While one could question the generalizability of the findings from these single-institution studies, I suggest that most individuals with personal knowledge of these populations would agree that the identified themes ring true. Further, these works evoke a related issue, that of social isolation among families that include significantly disabled or technologydependent children.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Isolation Among Families Caring for Children With Disabilities

Baumgardner

2019

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Homebound older adults, who make up 8.3% of older adults living in the community in the United States ( Xiang et al, 2020 ), are at increased risk of social isolation and loneliness due to mobility limitations caused by chronic illness, cognitive decline, or injury ( Bedard-Thomas et al, 2019 ; Qiu et al, 2010 ). While traditional therapeutic approaches have demonstrated success in reducing social isolation and loneliness for older adults ( Gardiner et al, 2018 ), such programs and services are most often offered in community-based settings, and typically do not reach homebound populations who experience unique barriers to access ( Turcotte et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: Background and Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Findings From Talking Tech: A Technology Training Pilot Intervention to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation Among Homebound Older Adults

Gadbois

Jiménez

Brazier

et al. 2022

Innovation in Aging

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background and Objectives Social isolation and loneliness are common among older adults and associated with negative health outcomes including cognitive decline, depression, suicide ideation, and mortality. Information and communication technology interventions are often used to combat loneliness and social isolation; however, homebound older adults face barriers to access. This study reports findings from a novel pilot intervention, called Talking Tech, designed to reduce loneliness and social isolation in homebound older adults by providing one-on-one, in-home technology training, a tablet, and the internet, to promote digital literacy and participation in a virtual senior center. Research Design and Methods 21 homebound older adults participated in this 14-week, volunteer-delivered program. We used qualitative interviews with participants, volunteers, and program staff, weekly progress reports from volunteers, and quantitative pre- and post-intervention surveys with participants to examine experiences and to evaluate the impact of the intervention on loneliness and social isolation. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis and pre- and post-intervention survey data were compared. Results Participants reported increased technological literacy and use, increased access to online activities, and improved facilitation of social connections to existing and new networks. Additionally, during interviews, many participants reported that participating in Talking Tech alleviated their loneliness. While not statistically significant, our quantitative analysis revealed trends towards decreased participant feelings of loneliness and increased technology use. Additionally, intervention adoption and retention were high, with only one participant withdrawing from the intervention. Discussion and Implications This evaluation of the novel Talking Tech pilot intervention provides critical insights into strategies to reduce loneliness and isolation for older adults, with implications for future research, policy, and practice. Findings demonstrate that individualized technology training may be an acceptable way to improve well-being for homebound older adults.

show abstract

I Live Alone but Don't Feel Alone: Social Isolation and Loneliness From the Patient Perspective

Abstract: Centered Research and Reviews (JPCRR) is a peer-reviewed scientific journal whose mission is to communicate clinical and bench research findings, with the goal of improving the quality of human health, the care of the individual patient, and the care of populations.

Cited by 18 publications

References 12 publications

A Technology Training Program to Alleviate Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Homebound Older Adults: A Community Case Study

A Technology Training Program to Alleviate Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Homebound Older Adults: A Community Case Study

Social Isolation Among Families Caring for Children With Disabilities

Findings From Talking Tech: A Technology Training Pilot Intervention to Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation Among Homebound Older Adults

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About