Ruptures of affiliation: social isolation in assisted living for older people

Abstract

Transfer from a private home to an assisted living facility has been pictured as a major change in an older person's life. Older people themselves tend to perceive the change as something eventual that breaks the bonds and familiarities of previous life. The aim of this article is to shed light on residents’ chances to reach affiliation (as Nussbaum defines it) in their new living surroundings, and thus adjust to that social environment. Based on ethnographical data gathered in a Finnish sheltered home in 2013–14, we studied residents’ affiliations through ruptures, namely residents’ perceived social isolation. Social isolation was found to be connected with two separate social worlds: the one inside the facility and the one outside. Social isolation resulted from different factors connected to the quality of social interaction with co-residents and the staff, daily routines of the institution and residents’ personal life histories. Also, residents’ older friends seemed to avoid visiting care facilities which caused perceived social isolation. This article deepens the insights into the perceived social isolation of assisted living and thus helps care providers to create new strategies to enable due affiliation for their residents.

Older people nursing in care homes: An examination of nursing professionals' self‐assessed competence and its predictors

“…Even residents with substantial declines in their functional abilities may feel agentic depending on their functional and material surroundings and the support they receive (Pirhonen & Pietilä, .) Residents’ perceived social isolation in care facilities has been found to be connected with two social worlds, the one inside the care facility and the one outside, and these two worlds should be acknowledged when supporting the residents’ social relationships (Pirhonen, Tiilikainen, & Pietilä, ). Nurses’ ability to support the well‐being of older people holistically needs attention and nurses should be supported in this demanding responsibility.…”

Can robots tackle late-life loneliness? Scanning of future opportunities and challenges in assisted living facilities

“…The older people felt stuck, isolated and invisible in the surrounding settings. ( Jansson et al, 2019 ) Similarly in a Finnish study, Pirhonen, Tiilikainen, and Pietilä (2018)) found that residents’ experiences of social loneliness manifested as ruptures of affiliation with people both inside and outside the facility. Residents suffered from multiple limitations regarding bonding and integrating with people inside the facility, with issues including the qualities of the peers and nursing staff, the residents’ own hampered functional abilities, and the routines set by busy personnel.…”

“…People usually take the first free vacancy since it is the cheapest option, but this means they have no chance to choose their social surroundings. According to previous literature, the qualities of the peers in the AL may not be a match for the new resident, the working culture of the nursing staff may be more or less person centered, and friends and relatives are not always keen to visit a facility ( Pirhonen, 2017 ; Pirhonen et al, 2018 ). All this may result in social loneliness.…”

“…In addition to forms of social loneliness, the residents expressed feelings of longing for emotional companionship. ( Pirhonen et al, 2018 ). Next, we will set the scenery for this future-oriented research that is based on prior literature on loneliness, elderly care, and social robots.…”

Yksinäisyys afaattisten henkilöiden kokemana. Tarkastelukohteena yksinäisyyden koetut syyt ja yksinäisyyden lievittäminen

“…) Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastelun kohteena on koettu sosiaalinen yksinäisyys, jolla on yhtymä kohtia myös sosiaalisen eristyneisyyden käsittee seen, kun se ymmärretään subjektiivisesti koet tuna kokemuksena, ei ainoastaan objektiivisesti mitattavissa olevana tilana sosiaalisten kontak tien vähäisyydestä. Tällöin sosiaalinen eristy neisyys näyttäytyy erityisesti sosiaalisen yhteen kuulumattomuuden ja irrallisuuden kokemuk sena ympäröivistä sosiaalisista suhteista, kuten myös fyysisenä eristyneisyytenä muista ihmisistä (18,23). Käsitteiden monimerkityksellisyydestä (22) johtuen käytämme yksinäisyyttä niin sanot tuna kattokäsitteenä, tarkoittaen sillä erilaisia yksinäisyyden muotoja ja osin myös sosiaalista eristyneisyyttä.…”