Effectiveness of an Informal Home Care Support Intervention Program (HoSIP) to Improve Loneliness and Quality of Life in Community-Dwelling Lonely Older Adults: A Feasibility Study (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Establishing cost-effective informal care services for lonely elderly individuals living at home in developing countries could be an innovative approach to improving their well-being. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an informal home care support intervention program (HoSIP) on loneliness and quality of life in community-dwelling lonely older adults. METHODS This quasi-experimental pre-post study employed a non-randomized control group design, with a 12-week intervention period and three follow-up points at the end of HoSIP. We used questionnaires to measure feelings of loneliness (UCLA-20), quality of life (CASP-19), general health (GHQ12), social network (LSNS-6), social support (MSPSS-12), and self-care ability (SASE-17). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to gauge the effect of the intervention program over time and in comparison with the control group. Data analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics software. RESULTS We found a significant relationship among outcome variables, including feelings of loneliness (P< 0.001) and quality of life (P< 0.001) at different stages of measurements. Despite positive feasibility results, the implementation of HoSIP faced challenges due to a lack of facilities and the absence of supporting organizations. CONCLUSIONS Utilizing the existing capabilities of older adults to provide online and face-to-face care services to each other could be a cost-effective way to improve their quality of life and reduce loneliness. The facilitating process of such informal care services for lonely older adults should be managed by either governmental or non-governmental organizations to diminish the rate of social isolation among this vulnerable population group. CLINICALTRIAL IRCT20190503043455N1