Loneliness of Elderly People in Nursing Care Homes
Weerakoon, Lashani Navodya; Fernando, Keshala (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025061823267
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025061823267
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of the study was to describe the loneliness of elderly people and the support elderly people received to reduce loneliness in nursing care homes. The aim of this study was to produce new knowledge that could be utilized in the planning of support systems for reducing the loneliness of elderly people in nursing care homes.
Descriptive literature review method was used as the data collection method in this study. CINAHL and PubMed databases were utilized to obtain articles. The search was filtered using predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Then, 16 selected articles were inductively content analysed to answer the two research questions outlined in this literature review: (1) what is loneliness in nursing care homes? and (2) how to support elderly people to reduce loneliness?
The results of the study described the loneliness of elderly people in nursing care homes and how the loneliness of elderly people can be reduced. Many factors contribute to loneliness among elderly people in nursing care homes, the lack of social connections, physical and psychological factors, institutional factors and economic and other external factors. Effective social connections, individual coping mechanisms, institutional support, psychological well-being and quality of life, therapeutic intervention and technological involvement were identified as strategies to reduce the loneliness of elderly people in care homes. In conclusion, loneliness in the elderly is a complex issue that may be lessened by fostering personal coping mechanism and enhancing social connections.
Descriptive literature review method was used as the data collection method in this study. CINAHL and PubMed databases were utilized to obtain articles. The search was filtered using predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Then, 16 selected articles were inductively content analysed to answer the two research questions outlined in this literature review: (1) what is loneliness in nursing care homes? and (2) how to support elderly people to reduce loneliness?
The results of the study described the loneliness of elderly people in nursing care homes and how the loneliness of elderly people can be reduced. Many factors contribute to loneliness among elderly people in nursing care homes, the lack of social connections, physical and psychological factors, institutional factors and economic and other external factors. Effective social connections, individual coping mechanisms, institutional support, psychological well-being and quality of life, therapeutic intervention and technological involvement were identified as strategies to reduce the loneliness of elderly people in care homes. In conclusion, loneliness in the elderly is a complex issue that may be lessened by fostering personal coping mechanism and enhancing social connections.