Health effects of loneliness and social isolation in older adults living in congregate long term care settings: A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence

Lapane, Kate L.; Lim, Emily; McPhillips, Emily; Barooah, Adrita; Yuan, Yasheng; Dubé, Catherine

doi:10.1016/j.archger.2022.104728

Cited by 29 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 90 publications

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“…Mental health, along with self-rated health and mobility limitations, deteriorated from 2019 to 2020, and the increased risk of loneliness in 2020 was largely dependent on this concurrent deterioration in health. This pattern may reflect the bidirectional relationship of loneliness and self-perceived health among older adults in the nursing home setting (Bethell et al, 2021;Lapane et al, 2022), and among older adults in general (Dahlberg et al, 2022). This finding can therefore both illustrate that preserving good health and functioning can be crucial for preventing experiences of loneliness, and that social interactions are important for well-being, for nursing home residents during the pandemic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surviving Through Solitude: A Prospective National Study of the Impact of the Early COVID-19 Pandemic and a Visiting Ban on Loneliness Among Nursing Home Residents in Sweden

Gustafsson

Schröders

Nilsson

et al. 2022

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B

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Objectives Targeted social distancing measures were widely implemented for nursing home residents when the extremely high COVID-19 mortality in this setting became apparent. Still, there is still scarce rigorous research examining how the pandemic and accompanying social distancing measures impacted loneliness in this group. This prospective nation-wide Swedish study of nursing home residents aimed to examine the impact on loneliness of the early phase of the pandemic and of a national visiting ban at nursing homes. Methods A panel was selected from a total population survey of all nursing home residents in Sweden March-May 2019 and 2020 (N=11,782; age range 70-110 years; mean age 88.2 years; 71% women). Prospective pretest-posttest and controlled interrupted time series designs were employed, with time trends estimated by date of returned questionnaire. Generalized linear models were used for estimation of effects, adjusting for demographic, survey-, and health-related covariates. Results Loneliness prevalence increased from 17 to 19% from 2019 to 2020 (Risk Ratio, RR (95% confidence interval, CI)=1.104 (1.060; 1.150)), but which was explained by self-reported health (RR(95%CI)=1.023 (0.982; 1.066)). No additional impact of the visiting ban on loneliness trends was found in the interrupted time series analyses (RR(95%CI)=0.984 (0.961; 1.008)). Discussion The moderate but health-dependent increased risk of loneliness, and the lack of impact of the nation-wide visiting ban at nursing homes, suggest that this ostensibly vulnerable group of nursing home residents also show signs of resilience, at least during the early phase of the pandemic.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surviving Through Solitude: A Prospective National Study of the Impact of the Early COVID-19 Pandemic and a Visiting Ban on Loneliness Among Nursing Home Residents in Sweden

Gustafsson

Schröders

Nilsson

et al. 2022

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B

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“…This study was the second of two planned systematic reviews. The first focused on social isolation and loneliness (Lapane, Lim et al, 2022). This systematic review includes quantitative and qualitative studies on social connectedness and engagement.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health effects of social connectedness in older adults living in congregate long‐term care settings: A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence

Lim,

Nielsen,

Lapane

et al. 2023

Int J Older People Nursing

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BackgroundThe overall impact of social connectedness on health outcomes in older adults living in nursing homes and assisted living settings is unknown. Given the unclear health impact of social connectedness for older adults in congregate long‐term care settings worldwide, a comprehensive systematic review is required to evaluate the overall relationship between social connectedness and health outcomes for them.ObjectivesThe purpose of this article was to synthesize the literature regarding the health impact of social connectedness among older adults living in nursing homes or assisted living settings.MethodsUsing PRISMA guidelines, we identified eligible studies from Scopus, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Cochrane databases (1990–2021). Bias and quality reporting assessment was performed using standardized criteria for cohort, cross sectional and qualitative studies. At each stage, ≥ 2 researchers conducted independent evaluations.ResultsOf the 7350 articles identified, 25 cohort (follow‐up range: 1 month–11 years; with two also contributing to cross sectional), 86 cross sectional, eight qualitative and two mixed methods were eligible. Despite different instruments used, many residents living in nursing homes and assisted living settings had reduced social engagement. Quantitative evidence supports a link between higher social engagement and health outcomes most studied (e.g. depression, quality of life). Few studies evaluated important health outcomes (e.g. cognitive and functional decline). Most cohort studies showed that lack of social connectedness accelerated time to death.ConclusionsSocial connectedness may be an important modifiable risk factor for adverse health outcomes for older adults living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Most studies were cross sectional and focused on quality of life and mental health outcomes. Longitudinal studies suggest that higher social engagement delays time to death. Evidence regarding other health outcomes important to older adults was scant and requires further longitudinal studies.

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“…Hand osteoarthritis is a common condition in older patients, affecting upper-extremity muscle function. [2][3][4][5] Diabetes is among the common conditions in older patients resulting in neuropathic disorders and affecting muscle function over the years. [3][4][5] Sequelae secondary to such cerebrovascular disorders as stroke are also common, hindering the application of tests designed for the assessment of upper-extremity sarcopenia in older patients.…”

Section: Recommendation On Patient Selection In Sarcopenia Evaluation...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ates Bulut

2023

Geriatrics Gerontology Int

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even if the roles are limited in number, and improve the health and quality of life of individuals requiring care. Accordingly, healthcare providers and caregivers should individually identify the types of social participation desired by individuals requiring care and make efforts to achieve them. Moreover, future research should examine the effectiveness of systematic approaches to identifying the roles to be targeted and overcoming barriers to their acquisition during home-based or daycare rehabilitation for individuals requiring care.

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Health effects of loneliness and social isolation in older adults living in congregate long term care settings: A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence

Cited by 29 publications

References 90 publications

Surviving Through Solitude: A Prospective National Study of the Impact of the Early COVID-19 Pandemic and a Visiting Ban on Loneliness Among Nursing Home Residents in Sweden

Surviving Through Solitude: A Prospective National Study of the Impact of the Early COVID-19 Pandemic and a Visiting Ban on Loneliness Among Nursing Home Residents in Sweden

Health effects of social connectedness in older adults living in congregate long‐term care settings: A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence

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