Health Risks of Older Adults: Social Isolation
Social isolation is a major health risk for older adults (Landeiro, Barrows, Musson, Gray & Leal, 2017). It can cause symptoms of depression, loneliness and withdrawal for older persons who lack connectivity to the community outside their living quarters. These symptoms can impact both the mental and physical health of older adults and drastically reduce their quality of life. Primary risk factors of isolation include (Elder & Retrum, 2012):
· Living alone
· Mobility or sensory impairment
· Major life transitions
· Socioeconomic status (low income, limited resources)
· Being a caregiver for someone with severe impairment
· Psychological or cognitive vulnerabilities
· Location: rural, unsafe or inaccessible neighborhood/community
· Small social network and/or inadequate social support
· Language (non-English speaking); and
· Membership in a vulnerable group
A registered nurse (RN) can assess this problem by obtaining a health history and physical examination of the patient. Specifically the RN would look for symptoms of listlessness, detachment, and disinterest in the person’s surroundings. The individual might demonstrate a lack of communicativeness and a lack of a desire...
References
Cornwell, E. Y., & Waite, L. J. (2009). Measuring social isolation among older adults using multiple indicators from the NSHAP study. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 64(suppl_1), i38-i46.
Elder, K., & Retrum, J. (2012). Framework for isolation in adults over 50. AARP Foundation. Retrieved from
https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/aarp_foundation/2012_PDFs/AARP-Foundation-Isolation-Framework-Report.pdf
Landeiro, F., Barrows, P., Musson, E. N., Gray, A. M., & Leal, J. (2017). Reducing social isolation and loneliness in older people: a systematic review protocol. BMJ Open, 7(5), e013778.
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