The student will select a topic of interest regarding an emerging health issue of older adults. With a nursing focus, the student will describe the nature of the problem and present solutions. The students will provide evidence to support interventions. The student will reflect on their own personal attitudes towards aging and caring for older adults. The final product of this assignments will be a written paper. The student will submit this assignment for grading and feedback in two phases as described below.
Older Adult Outline
- Social Isolation
- In the United States, loneliness and social isolation among older persons pose substantial public health problems that put a large number of people at risk for dementia and other serious medical diseases.
- Older adults are at increased risk for loneliness and social isolation because they are more likely to face factors such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and hearing loss
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25663external icon.
- Population impacted
• older adults: 45-50 & older - Definition of the problem
• Many aging adults are at risk or suffer from social isolation as they age. - Description of myths or stereotypes associated with problem
myth:
- The first assumption that loneliness is a problem specifically for older people finds only partial support.
- Loneliness is common only among the very old
- The second assumption is that people in individualistic societies are most lonely.
Dykstra, P.A. Older adult loneliness: myths and realities. Eur J Ageing 6, 91 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-009-0110-3.
- truth: In fact, studies show that older adults are less likely to experience depression than young adults.
- Proposed Interventions
a. Presentation of 1-2 interventions to directly address the problem
- Assign a primary nurse or case manager to the patient
- Determine if the patient is willing to make changes in lifestyle or daily routine to increase contact with others.
- Educate older adults on how to use the current video conferencing tools so that they can speak with distant family and friends
- Interventions supported by evidence
- to provide consistency and promote trust
- The patient needs to be motivated for nursing intervention to succeed
Ralph, S. S., & Taylor, C. M. (2014). Geriatric Health. In Sparks and Taylor’s nursing diagnosis reference manual (6th ed., pp. 583–584). essay, Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Health.
Reflection
a. Analysis of personal attitude towards aging and caring for older adults
- My first thoughts regarding aging are only sad in that I see now as a younger person how unsupported the geriatric community I today. The thought of aging is a bit anxiety-inducing because of the fear of not knowing if the progression of social isolation will be for the better. Unless we as future Nurses and Nurses, do our part to educate the community on these disparities, only will the changes start to happen.
- Reflection on key takeaways from this project (What did you learn?)
I learned that many myths and assumptions about the aging process are the very reason for these disparities that affect the geriatric community. In our youth we often don’t think of our own mortality let alone of that of older age groups. As a millennial, I am at the height of the social explosion due to the increase in technology platforms. However, even though we as the younger generation find the means to socialize, the older adult community is not educated on the ways to use these technologies to enhance their sociability.
Social Isolation Problem among Older Adults
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Social Isolation problem among Older Adults
Description of the problem
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2020), reports that social isolation and loneliness among older persons in the United States pose substantial health problems to the public and this can put several people at risk for various medical conditions that are serious such as dementia. Older adults are at far much increased risk social isolation and loneliness due to the fact that they are more prone to facing different factors like the loss of friends or family, living alone, hearing loss and chronic illnesses. This paper discusses the problem of social isolation among older adults in the United States by defining the population impacted, a definition of some myths and stereotypes associated with the problem, proposed interventions to deal with the problem, and a personal reflection on the issue.
Population Impacted.
This problem impacts the older adult population in the United States, especially those aged 45-50. This is a group that is particularly vulnerable to social isolation and loneliness. There are several reasons why this population is more impacted by social isolation. Older adults may have decreased mobility, making it difficult to interact with other people. They may also be retired or have lost a spouse or family, further limiting their social interaction.
Definition of the problem.
There is a significant problem of social isolation among older adults in the United States. This is often caused by a lack of social interaction and decreased mobility. Older adults may also experience isolation due to retirement, the death of a spouse or family members, and moving to a new location. Many aging adults are at risk or suffer from social isolation as they age. Additionally, many older adults live in places that are not conducive to social interaction, such as rural areas.
Description of myths or stereotypes associated with the problem.
There are several myths and stereotypes linked to social isolation in older adults. One myth is that social isolation is simply a result of old age. However, this is not the case, as social isolation can impact people of all ages. Another myth is that social isolation is not a real problem, or it is not as serious as other problems that older adults face. However, social isolation can seriously impact an individual’s health and wellbeing. Another assumption that loneliness is a problem specifically for older people finds only partial support. A common belief about loneliness is that it is only common among very older people and that people in individualistic societies tend to be the loneliest (Dystra, 2009). All of these assumptions are not true. Various studies have indicated that older adults are less likely to experience depression than young adults.
Presentation of Available Interventions
Several interventions can be applied to help address this problem of social isolation in older adults. One intervention that can directly address this problem is to assign a case manager or primary nurse to a patient. This helps address the problem by providing the patients with someone who can check on them regularly (OʼSúilleabháin et al., 2019). This can help provide some social interaction and help the individual feel less isolated. Additionally, the primary nurse or case manager can help connect the individual with resources and services that can help reduce their isolation. Another major intervention that can help address this problem is to determine if a patient is willing to make changes in lifestyle or daily routine to increase contact with others. These changes can include joining a social club or group, participating in activities outside the home, or volunteering. Increasing social interactions can help reduce the feelings of isolation and loneliness that many older adults experience (Ralph & Taylor, 2014).
Another major intervention that can help with social isolation is educating older adults on how to use the current video conferencing tools so that they can speak with distant family and friends. They can stay in contact with distant family and friends by teaching them how to use these tools. This can help provide some social interaction and help the individual feel less isolated. Additionally, the primary nurse or case manager can help connect the individual with resources and services that can help reduce their isolation. These interventions are supported by evidence and provide consistency while promoting trust among the patients. For these nursing interventions to succeed, patients need to be motivated (Ralph & Taylor, 2014).
Personal Reflection
My first thoughts regarding aging are only sad in that I see now, as a younger person, how unsupported the geriatric community I today. The thought of aging is a bit anxiety-inducing because of the fear of not knowing if the progression of social isolation will be for the better. Unless we, as future Nurses and Nurses, do our part to educate the community on these disparities, only will the changes start to happen. The problem of social isolation among older adults is dear to my heart. As someone who has experienced social isolation firsthand, I know how difficult and challenging it can be. I believe that education and awareness are key in addressing this problem. Additionally, I think that it is important to provide older adults with opportunities to interact with others, whether it is through social clubs, activities, or volunteering. By increasing social interactions, we can help reduce the feelings of isolation and loneliness many older adults experiences.
References
Dykstra, P.A. Older adult loneliness: myths and realities. Eur J Ageing 6, 91 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-009-0110-3.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25663external icon.
Ralph, S. S., & Taylor, C. M. (2014). Geriatric Health. In Sparks and Taylor’s nursing diagnosis reference manual (6th ed., pp. 583–584). essay, Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Health.
OʼSúilleabháin, P. S., Gallagher, S., & Steptoe, A. (2019). Loneliness, Living Alone, and All-Cause Mortality: The Role of Emotional and Social Loneliness in the Elderly During 19 Years of Follow-Up. Psychosomatic medicine, 81(6), 521–526. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6615929/