Co-Development of a Web-Based Hub (eSocial-hub) to Combat Social Isolation and Loneliness in Francophone and Anglophone Older People in the Linguistic Minority Context (Quebec, Manitoba, and New Brunswick): Protocol for a Mixed Methods Interventional Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Idrissa Beogo
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Older People ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Staff Nurse ◽  
Nursing Facilities ◽  
Linguistic Minority ◽  
Interventional Study ◽  
Web Based

BACKGROUND The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has severely hit Canadian nursing facilities (81% of deaths). To this toll, public health measures (eg, visitation restriction) have subsequently deepened the social isolation and loneliness of residents in nursing facilities (NFs), especially those in linguistic minority settings: Anglophone institutions in Quebec and Francophone institutions outside Quebec. However, very few COVID-19 initiatives targeting these populations specifically have been documented. Given the limited number of NFs serving linguistic minorities in Canadian populations, families and loved ones often live far from these facilities, sometimes even in other provinces. This context places the digital solutions as particularly relevant for the present COVID-19 pandemic as well as in the post–COVID-19 era. OBJECTIVE This project aims to co-develop a virtual community of practice through a web-based platform (eSocial-hub) to combat social isolation and loneliness among the older people in linguistic minority settings in Canada. METHODS An interventional study using a sequential mixed methods design will be conducted. Four purposely selected NFs will be included, 2 among facilities in Manitoba and 2 in New Brunswick; and 2 Anglophone NFs in Quebec will serve as knowledge users. The development of eSocial-hub will include an experimental 4-month phase involving the following end users: (1) older people (n=3 per NF), (2) families of the participating older people (n=3 per NF), and (3) frontline staff (nurse and health care aid; n=2 per NF). RESULTS Activities and solutions aiming at reducing social isolation and loneliness will be implemented and then evaluated with the project stakeholders, and the best practices generated. The assessment will be conducted using indicators derived from the 5 domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. The project will be led by an interdisciplinary team and will involve a multisectoral partnership. CONCLUSIONS The project will develop a promising and generalizable solution that uses virtual technology to help reduce social isolation and loneliness among the older people.

eSocial-HUB: Co-development of a virtual HUB to combat social isolation and loneliness among seniors in Francophone (Manitoba and New Brunswick) and Anglophone (Quebec) linguistic/cultural minorities (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Idrissa Beogo ◽  
Jean Ramdé ◽  
Eric Nguemeleu Tchouaket ◽  
Drissa Sia ◽  
Nebila Jean-Claude Bationo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Staff Nurse ◽  
Nursing Facilities ◽  
Nursing Assistant ◽  
Linguistic Minority ◽  
Virtual Technology ◽  
Frontline Staff

BACKGROUND Worldwide, governments are actively speed up ambitious vaccination programmes against the COVID-19, while its third wave persists in several canadian juridictions caused by emerging strains. The first wave severely hit Canadian nursing facilities (81% of deaths). To this toll, public health measures that reduced physical contacts and visitation restriction have subsequently deepened the social isolation and loneliness in nursing facilities (NF) residents. This unanticipated collateral effects increases residents vulnerability, especially those in linguistic minority settings: Anglophone institutions in Quebec and Francophone institutions outside Quebec. While no one could have prepared for the challenges of COVID 19, certain innovative interventions have yielded successful results. Our project intends to draw on these winning practices and apply them in linguistic and cultural minority settings. Very few COVID-19 initiatives targeting these populations specifically have been documented. Given the limited number of NF serving linguistic minorities in Canadian populations, families and loved ones often live far from these facilities, sometimes even in other provinces. This context places the digital solutions as particularly relevant in per-COVID-19 as well as in the post-COVID-19. OBJECTIVE The project aims to co-develop a virtual community of practice HUB (eSocial-HUB) to combat social isolation and loneliness among the elderly in linguistic minority settings in Canada. METHODS An intervention study will use a sequential mixed method design. Four purposely selected NF will be included, two in facilities in Manitoba and two in New Brunswick; and two Anglophone NF in Quebec will serve as knowledge user. The development of eSocial-HUB will include an experimental 4-month phase involving end users: 1) elderly (n=3 per NF), 2) families of participating elderly (n=3 per NF), and 3) frontline staff (nurse and nursing assistant) (n=2 per NF). RESULTS Activities and solutions aiming at reducing social isolation and loneliness will be implemented and then evaluated with the project stakeholders, and the best practices generated. The assessment will be conducted using indicators derived from the five domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. The project will be led by an interdisciplinary team and will involve a multisectoral partnership. CONCLUSIONS The project will develop a promising and generalizable solution that uses virtual technology to help reduce social isolation and loneliness among the elderly.

scholarly journals A Web-Based Psychosocial Intervention for Family Caregivers of Older People: Results from a Mixed-Methods Study in Three European Countries

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. e196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Barbabella ◽  
Arianna Poli ◽  
Frida Andréasson ◽  
Benjamin Salzmann ◽  
Roberta Papa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Older People ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Psychosocial Intervention ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Web Based

scholarly journals Home Alone or Not? A Mixed Methods Study of Different Perceptions of Social Isolation between Care Managers and Older Housebound Adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Care Manager ◽  
Care Managers

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss whether the level of social isolation and loneliness as assessed by care managers corresponds to the level of social isolation and loneliness as perceived by the older persons whose care needs are being assessed. Design/methodology/approach: This mixed methods study followed up the assessment of 40 older people by 20 care managers with a focus on the accuracy of the care manager’s assessment on the level of social isolation experienced by the service user. In order for this to be achieved structured interviews were conducted with both the older person and the care manager assessing their needs, with a specific focus on the assessment of loneliness and social isolation. Following these initial interviews two focus groups were then undertaken with the care manager to discuss the findings and unpack the assessment process. Findings: The key issues were that the true level of social isolation and loneliness was under assessed by the care manager completing the assessment. That the care manager’s assessment was predominantly focused on the physical well-being of the older person and heavily influenced by the assessment paperwork. Originality/value: This provides lessons for professionals about the lack of effectiveness of their assessment of social isolation and loneliness in older people, and the potential impact this has on the older person’s quality of life.

scholarly journals A MIXED METHODS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF COMMUNITY-BASED GROUPS FOR SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS IN OLDER PEOPLE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S856-S856
Author(s):  
Brenda A Hayanga ◽  
Dylan Kneale ◽  
Ann Phoenix
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Older People ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Friendship Networks ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Course Experiences ◽  
The Uk

Abstract In the UK, many older people from minoritised ethnic groups are vulnerable to social isolation and loneliness. Yet, we know little about which interventions are effective for them. With existing systematic reviews of social isolation and loneliness lacking a theory-based framework of their life-course experiences, we set out to address this gap. This review aims to explore the effectiveness and suitability of community-based group interventions (CBGIs) for social isolation and loneliness in older people. The decision to focus on CBGIs was based on findings from an exploratory study of the friendship networks of older people and narrative interviews with older minoritised people living in the UK. The findings suggested that community groups of shared interests/backgrounds were protective of social isolation and loneliness. To address the objectives, we searched for randomised controlled trials and process evaluations of CBGIs published in English, which included older people living in countries with membership to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. We identified 4791 studies, 36 of which were eligible for inclusion. In this poster, we present the preliminary findings of this mixed-methods systematic review, which seeks to not only assess whether CBGIs are effective but also to understand the underlying processes that make interventions (in)effective. As this review is guided by findings from two exploratory studies with older people from minoritised ethnic groups, it takes into account their life-course experiences. It is the results of reviews such as this that can produce generalisable findings which are directly applicable to policy.

scholarly journals Guidance for Research on Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Participation Among Older People: Lessons From a Mixed Methods Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 160940691987291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Dare ◽  
Celia Wilkinson ◽  
Robert Donovan ◽  
Johnny Lo ◽  
Marie-Louise McDermott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
The City

This article provides methodological guidance to researchers wishing to develop collaborative research projects with local governments and other agencies, by describing the process adopted in a mixed methods study conducted in the City of Wanneroo (the City), a local government area in Perth, Western Australia. The study explored factors related to older people’s (60+ years) participation in community-based activities and links between their participation and levels of social isolation, loneliness, and social connectedness. The research incorporated four interrelated stages: (1) an audit of existing programs in the City and program participant characteristics; (2) focus groups with program participants and interviews with nonparticipants; (3) a cross-sectional survey to assess factors associated with participation and links to social isolation, loneliness, and social connectedness; (4) face-to-face interviews with survey respondents screened at risk for loneliness. Methodological recommendations are provided to guide future collaborative research with local authorities, program developers, and administrators, aimed at minimizing social isolation and loneliness among older people. These include the need for clear communication and documentation of mutually agreed research objectives and responsibilities from project initiation to completion, identifying and working with local agencies to maximize recruitment among “hard to reach” groups, understanding the dimensions of loneliness addressed in the selected instrument used to screen for loneliness, and integrating innovative data collection techniques when working with vulnerable groups such as socially isolated older people.

Older people’s news dependency and social connectedness

2021 ◽  
pp. 1329878X2110064
Author(s):  
Caroline Fisher ◽  
Sora Park ◽  
Jee Young Lee ◽  
Kate Holland ◽  
Emma John
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
News Media ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Older Citizens

Social isolation has become a growing issue, particularly among older citizens. The ‘digital divide’ has been identified as one of the contributing factors leaving many older citizens behind. While increasing digital literacy among seniors has been identified as one of the remedies, less attention has been paid to the role of news media on the wellbeing and connectedness of older people. Through the lens of the uses and gratifications theory, this article reports on the findings of a survey of 562 news consumers aged 50 years and above who live in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The analysis highlights the important role of news in reducing feelings of social isolation, particularly for those who spend more time alone and older people with cognitive impairment. Older participants who had difficulty concentrating and learning new tasks were also more dependent on news. We suggest this is due to the habitual, predictable and concise nature of news. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of news in the wellbeing of older people and point to the need for policymakers and those in the aged care sector to ensure access to news for older citizens to improve the quality of life.

The ‘loneliness pandemic’: implications for gerontological nursing

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (11) ◽  
pp. 652-655
Author(s):  
Carlos Laranjeira
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Gerontological Nursing

The COVID-19 pandemic compelled states to limit free movement, in order to protect at-risk and more vulnerable groups, particularly older adults. Due to old age or debilitating chronic diseases, this group is also more vulnerable to loneliness (perceived discrepancy between actual and desired social relationships) and social isolation (feeling that one does not belong to society). This forced isolation has negative consequences for the health of older people, particularly their mental health. This is an especially challenging time for gerontological nursing, but it is also an opportunity for professionals to combat age stereotypes reinforced with COVID-19, to urge the measurement of loneliness and social isolation, and to rethink how to further adjust interventions in times of crisis, such as considering technology-mediated interventions in these uncertain times.

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