Loneliness of Older Adults: Social Network and the Living Environment

Abstract

The social participation and integration of older adults are important aspects of healthy aging. However, in general, older adults have smaller social networks than their younger counterparts due to changes in their life cycle stage, such as retirement or age-related losses, along with a declining health and increasing mobility limitations. Consequently, with increasing age, an increasing proportion of older people experience feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Previous studies that have analyzed the relationships between loneliness, social networks, and the living environment have often been based on bivariate relationships or included only a limited number of variables. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze multiple relationships in a more comprehensive framework. Data were collected using a survey among 182 adults aged 65 years and over in the Netherlands. A Bayesian belief network (BBN) modeling approach was used that derives all direct and indirect relationships between the variables. The results showed that feelings of loneliness are directly related to satisfaction with one’s social network and neighborhood attachment and are indirectly related to perceived safety and satisfaction with local amenities and services. This knowledge is relevant to urban planners and policy makers who focus on creating livable and healthy social neighborhoods for the aging population.

Employing Participatory Citizen Science Methods to Promote Age-Friendly Environments Worldwide

“…The Our Voice projects described above have focused principally on features of physical environments that impact lifestyle behaviors and similar factors of importance to healthy aging. Yet, local community features also can strongly impact social environments, including features that influence perceived safety and satisfaction with local services, and those that foster participation, respect and social inclusion [62]. These social determinants of health are equally important to older adults' daily well-being and quality of life [63].…”

“…The above two projects demonstrate the importance, when assessing the age-friendliness of communities, of paying particular attention to environmental features and social barriers that may lead older adults to feel unwelcome or fearful [70]. Solutions that are generated should universally consider the needs of diverse older adults to diminish loneliness and isolation [62].…”

Breaking Social Isolation Amidst COVID‐19: A Viewpoint on Improving Access to Technology in Long‐Term Care Facilities

“…For older patients isolated in LTC facilities, providing them with these technology-dependent amenities and social contacts could potentially decrease their sense of loneliness and increase their self-perceived health, similarly to the benefits seen with physically going outdoors. 6,7 These VR applications have shown positive impact, even in individuals with physical and cognitive impairment. 8 Yet, none of these technologies was available in the centers I visited and making them available at present time would be impossible given the risk of disease exposure.…”

Challenges of Regional Development in the Context of Population Ageing. Analysis Based on the Example of Opolskie Voivodeship

“…Now, there are 58 people of non-working age, including 25 people of pre-working age and 33 people of post-working age per 100 people of working age. In 2050, the demographic dependency ratio could increase to 110, which will be a consequence of the greater dependency of the post-working population (85) at an unchanged dependency of people of pre-working age (25) [58].…”

“…It is especially vital in the case of elderly people who live alone [83], especially in the situation when, as studies show, most elderly grown-ups prefer an independent life in their own house [84]. Therefore, it is a significant challenge to create senior-friendly districts thanks to which elderly people do not live feeling isolated and lonely [85]. Supporting the good physical condition of elderly people is another challenge because it generates lower costs than expenditures on medical treatment.…”