Level of Education of Students Involved
Undergraduate
Faculty Sponsor
Terry Kessler
College
College of Nursing & Health Professions (CONHP)
Discipline(s)
Nursing
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Symposium Date
Spring 4-24-2025
Abstract
Social Isolation in Older Adults Transitioning to Assisted Living Facilities
Background: Social isolation describes the objective state of being lonely, whereas loneliness is a subjective feeling based on relationships (Rohr et al., 2022). In a meta-analysis, 33% of an elderly population experienced social isolation (Ran et al., 2024). Based on the framework of loneliness, social isolation, and associated health outcomes (Barnes et al., 2020), the purposes of this study were to describe experiences of social isolation, loneliness, and strategies that decreased these experiences in older adults following a move to assisted living.
Methods: Using a qualitative approach, residents 65 and older (N=10), without cognitive deficits who moved to a facility within the past 3-12 months were interviewed. Participants completed the Mini-Cog© for inclusion prior to answering nine open-ended questions. After each interview, participants completed the UCLA loneliness scale. Constant comparison was used to identify major categories.
Results: Participants 70-92 years (M=82.20, SD=7.64) were female (80%) and a widow/widower (60%). Three main categories emerged: (a) resolved to leave home, (b) trust in a safe system to meet needs, and (c) having to accept a new normal. UCLA scores demonstrated a moderate degree of loneliness (M=38.25, SD=15.56).
Conclusions: Early detection of social isolation is essential to improve quality of life (Ran et al., 2024) and prevent illness in older adults (Jansson et al., 2021). While loneliness and the need to move impacted these older adults, their involvement in the choice and receiving a tailored experience improved their transition (Sun et al., 2021).
Recommended Citation
Benzing, Bryn; Gonzalez, Alyssa; Harper, Adalynn; Farrar, Ariel; Gaskill, Riley; Haller, Becca; and Ottayil, Soniya, "Social Isolation in Older Adults Transitioning to Assisted Living Facilities" (2025). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 1473.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/1473
Biographical Information about Author(s)
Senior Nursing Students: Bryn Benzing, Alyssa Gonzalez, Adalynn Harper,
Junior Nursing Students: Ariel Farrar, Riley Gaskill, Becca Haller, Soniya Ottayil
We are members of an undergraduate nursing research team with varying backgrounds that allow us to collaborate on patient experiences. Many of us have experience working with older adults, so we decided to focus on the transition process of this particular demographic and the potential development of loneliness.