Meeting the Care Needs of Older Adults Isolated at Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Steinman, Michael A.; Perry, Linda L.; Perissinotto, Carla

doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.1661

Cited by 227 publications

(221 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…But older adults need more than virtual contacts. When older adults are facing the challenges of social isolation, they are particularly vulnerable to rapid decline (Steinman et al, 2020). This is especially evident in long-term care facilities.…”

Section: Social Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

The risks of social distancing for older adults: a call to balance

Vernooij‐Dassen

Verhey

Lapid

2020

Int. Psychogeriatr.

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Section: Social Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

The risks of social distancing for older adults: a call to balance

Vernooij‐Dassen

Verhey

Lapid

2020

Int. Psychogeriatr.

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“…Older adults have received stricter directives on social distancing, as they were one of the first groups encouraged to stay home worldwide [21]. Several commentaries proposed ICT use improvement in older populations as a potential strategy to counteract social isolation and loneliness during the pandemic [4,5,[20][21][22][23][24]. Keeping connections is listed among the tips for preventing the detrimental effect of loneliness and social isolation [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many older adults, however, might not be familiar with these new technologies [5,8,10]. However, training on SNSs use may prove useful to familiarize older adults with such technologies [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loneliness and Social Engagement in Older Adults Based in Lombardy during the COVID-19 Lockdown: The Long-Term Effects of a Course on Social Networking Sites Use

Rolandi

Vaccaro

Abbondanza

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Older adults are less familiar with communication technology, which became essential to maintain social contacts during the COVID-19 lockdown. The present study aimed at exploring how older adults, previously trained for Social Networking Sites (SNSs) use, experienced the lockdown period. In the first two weeks of May 2020, telephone surveys were conducted with individuals aged 81–85 years and resident in Abbiategrasso (Milan), who previously participated in a study aimed at evaluating the impact of SNSs use on loneliness in old age (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04242628). We collected information on SNSs use, self-perceived loneliness, and social engagement with family and friends. Interviewed participants were stratified as trained (N = 60) and untrained (N = 70) for SNSs use, based on their attendance to group courses held the previous year as part of the main experimental study. The groups were comparable for sociodemographics and clinical features. Participants trained for SNSs use reported significantly higher usage of SNSs and reduced feeling of being left out. Compared to pre-lockdown levels, individuals trained for SNSs use showed a lighter reduction in social contacts. These findings support the utility of training older adults for SNSs use in order to improve their social inclusion, even in extreme conditions of self-isolation and perceived vulnerability.

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“…Many in Canada were deeply troubled by the recent news of family members being turned away from the windows of Ontario LTC facilities as they attempted to visit loved ones while respecting physical distancing recommendations (Pringle, 2020). Equally troubling stories have emerged detailing the challenges that LTC residents have faced including restrictions on visitors and volunteers, elimination of the interactions residents enjoyed with their families (Armitage & Nellums, 2020;Gardner, States, & Bagley, 2020), and limitations on physical and social activities (Bains, 2020;Flint, Bingham, & Iaboni, 2020;Harden, 2020;Kingdon, 2020;Liebermen, 2020;Steinman, Perry, & Perissinotto, 2020;United Nations, 2020).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Competing crises: COVID‐19 countermeasures and social isolation among older adults in long‐term care

Chu

Donato-Woodger

Dainton

2020

Journal of Advanced Nursing

124

115

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While debate over the appropriate scope and goals of COVID-19 lockdowns has raged, all public health agencies have been clear on one matter: older adults have the highest rates of mortality (Comas-Herrera et al., 2020) and should be isolated (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2020). Older adults and individuals with complex health conditions are most vulnerable to the virus. Yet, social isolation contributes to the onset and intensifies depression, feelings of despair and, in older adults with dementia, further cognitive decline. Older adults living in long-term care (LTC) facilities comprise 79% of the COVID-19 death toll in Canada (Rothan & Byrareddy, 2020; Walsh & Semeniuk, 2020). While our failure to protect longterm care (LTC) facilities has been made apparent both by this high mortality and a shocking recent Canadian Armed Forces Report (Mialkowski, 2020), the singular focus on mortality has overshadowed any attention to morbidity-particularly the effects of physical distancing on health, quality of life, and autonomy. Annual mortality COVID-19 countermeasures like physical distancing involves a balance of risks for older adults living in LTC facilities. The COVID-19 epidemic has upended many assumptions about the safety, health, and well-being of older adults and revealed numerous areas for collaboration, innovation, and improvement. Within this crisis lies an opportunity for nurses to start a deeper conversation about autonomy and values and how to restore person-centred care in LTC facilities.

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Meeting the Care Needs of Older Adults Isolated at Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cited by 227 publications

References 6 publications

The risks of social distancing for older adults: a call to balance

The risks of social distancing for older adults: a call to balance

Loneliness and Social Engagement in Older Adults Based in Lombardy during the COVID-19 Lockdown: The Long-Term Effects of a Course on Social Networking Sites Use

Competing crises: COVID‐19 countermeasures and social isolation among older adults in long‐term care

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