SOCIAL LONELINESS AND NURSING INTERVENTION IN INSTITUTIONALIZED OLDER ADULTS

Abstract

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46296/yc.v9i17.0700

Abstract

Introduction: Aging is a process that begins at birth and ends with death. Growth and development processes occur that include biological and psychosocial dimensions, making them vulnerable to situations that usually involve significant changes in their social environment, which makes them more prone to experience loneliness. Objective: To determine the effect of nursing intervention in relation to social loneliness in institutionalized older adults. Methodology: Quantitative approach, quasi-experimental design, longitudinal cut whose survey will be applied in two time lines pre and post, consists of 3 factors which measure the level of social loneliness, non-probabilistic purposive sampling. The research study was carried out with 10 older adults from the “Hogar Sagrado Corazón de Jesús” (Sacred Heart of Jesus Home). Results: The results obtained through the ESTE II Scale were analyzed. Initially, the first factor presented a mean score of 83%, which progressively improved until reaching low levels. As for the second factor, it maintained a high score without variations. Regarding subjective social participation, an improvement was observed, going from a high level (69%) to a low one, which shows the effectiveness of the intervention. Conclusions: Out of 65 older adults, 10 presented high social loneliness, mainly in women. Animal-assisted therapy improved the emotional well-being of older adults, improvements in physical activity, an increase in socialization, as well as a decrease in depressive symptoms were evidenced.

Keywords: Social loneliness, animal-assisted therapy, elderly, aging.