Loneliness in Nursing Homes

Developing Evidence for Football (Soccer) Reminiscence Interventions Within Long-term Care: A Co-operative Approach Applied in Scotland and Spain

“…However, feelings of uselessness and meaninglessness, which fuel loneliness, are frequently reported within long-term care settings 4 . Loneliness in people with dementia leads to faster cognitive decline, depression, poorer ability to make decisions, reduced physical activity and increased frailty 5.6 .…”

“…Interventions to address loneliness and social isolation within nursing homes have included volunteer visits to provide support, cognitive behavioral therapy, internet training, companion-type robots 7.8 , animal-assisted therapy 9 , contact with children, pets and plants and humor therapy through clowns 10,11 . While some of these specific innovations have been proven effective and may appeal to some residents, many older people long for human relationships and reciprocity in giving and receiving 4,12 , hence the importance of human interaction and psychosocial interventions within dementia care 13 . Systematic reviews, however, reveal an inconclusive evidence base in terms of the effectiveness of loneliness interventions, indicating that theoretically informed, group-based interventions which harness community resources yield the most promising results.…”

Spiritual reminiscence therapy for older people with loneliness, anxiety and depression living in a residential aged care facility, Malaysia: The effectiveness and older people’s experiences

“…Poorer physical health, for example, is associated with loneliness (Ong, Uchino, & Wethington, 2016;Pitkala, 2016), anxiety (de Beurs et al, 1999) and depression (Abdul Manaf, Mustafa, Abdul Rahman, Yusof, & Abd Aziz, 2016;Hoover et al, 2010). Deterioration of physical health such as reduced physical mobility and decreased hearing and speech ability can make it a challenge for some older people to develop new relationships and maintain contact with family and close friends (Amzat & Jayawardena, 2016).…”

“…Although separate conditions, they are interconnected, often co-morbid and share similar symptoms. Loneliness is a subjective and negative feeling when there is a difference between an individual's expectation and his/her own social network (Holwerda et al, 2016;Pitkala, 2016). Older people may experience loneliness even if they are surrounded by other people (Ong et al, 2016).…”

“…Older people may experience loneliness even if they are surrounded by other people (Ong et al, 2016). While there are no specific criteria for recognising loneliness in older people because each may perceive loneliness differently, it is often indicated by symptoms such as disturbed sleep, reduced satisfaction from social networking, diminished interest in social activities, and weight gain (Ong et al, 2016;Pitkala, 2016).…”