Understanding Social Isolation Among Urban Aging Adults: Informing Occupation-Based Approaches

Abstract

Socially isolated aging adults are at risk of poor health and well-being. Occupational therapy can help address this issue; however, information is needed to guide such work. National surveys characterize social isolation in populations of aging adults but fail to provide meaningful information at a community level. The objective of this study is to describe multiple dimensions of social isolation and related factors among aging adults in diverse urban neighborhoods. Community-based participatory research involving a door-to-door survey of adults 50 years and older was used. Participants ( N = 161) reported social isolation in terms of small social networks (24%) and wanting more social engagement (43%). Participants aged 50 to 64 years reported the highest levels of isolation in most dimensions. Low income, poor health, lack of transportation, and infrequent information access appeared linked to social isolation. Occupational therapists can address social isolation in similar urban communities through policy and practice that facilitate social engagement and network building.

Automatically identifying social isolation from clinical narratives for patients with prostate Cancer

“…Secondly, our study found that about 1.2% of patients with prostate cancer had social isolation mention(s) in their clinical narratives; this finding is consistent with a prior study, which reported that 1.2% of elderly adults were subjectively isolated (based on an individual’s perceptions about quality of his/her social relationship), and 5% of elderly adults were objectively isolated (through physical separation from and insufficient interaction with other people) [23]. However, other studies have estimated a 15–40% prevalence of social isolation among elderly adults, without reliance on a consensus definition and operationalization of social isolation [25]. Therefore, the true prevalence of social isolation in our study population is uncertain without access to confirmation from other measurements; notably unknown is the extent to which social isolation information is commonly recorded in providers’ clinical notes.…”

Perceptions of Low Income by Canadian Student Occupational Therapists

“…Occupational therapy research encourages practitioners to address injustices by identifying client strengths, identifying socially-structured inequalities, and advocating for the occupational rights of all people (Hammell, 2015;World Federation of Occupational Therapists, 2006). With a firm understanding of the value and the impact of occupational engagement on health and a clear role in client advocacy, occupational therapists are well-suited to address this issue by providing physical, social, and mental health services to low income populations (Hand, 2017).…”

Occupational Therapy and Public Health: Advancing Research to Improve Population Health and Health Equity

“…In this study, surveillance methods were used to identify needs for both population-level and individual-level interventions. Hand and colleagues (2017) used health surveillance methods to explore social isolation among aging adults in socioeconomically, racially, and ethnically diverse neighborhoods. They partnered with members of a community-based participatory research collective to survey community-dwelling older adults about their social isolation and factors related to social isolation.…”

“…There are a growing number of occupational therapy resources and tools designed for practitioners who want to add health surveillance methods and community-centered approaches to their practice (Hyett, McKinstry, Kenny, & Dickson-Swift, 2016). This special issue on occupational therapy and public health highlights research that demonstrates the occupational therapy lens in health surveillance (Hand et al, 2017; Peachey, Wenos, & Baller, 2017), community-centered programs (Coker-Bolt et al, 2017; Hyett, Kenny, & Dickson-Swift, 2017), and health disparities or inequities (Barnekow et al, 2017; Douglas, Benevides, & Carretta, 2017; Williamson, Conteras, Rodriquez, Smith, & Perkins, 2017).…”