Loneliness in Homebound Older Adults: Integrative Literature Review.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

8-1-2021

Journal

Journal of gerontological nursing

Volume

47

Issue

8

DOI

10.3928/00989134-20210624-01

Keywords

Aged; Disabled Persons; Homebound Persons; Humans; Loneliness

Abstract

Loneliness affects people of all ages at one point or another in their lives; however, older adults aged ≥65 years are disproportionally affected due to age-related losses. Most research on loneliness has focused on older adults in general. Older adults who are homebound tend to have more disabilities and associated complications than older adults in the general population and face unique challenges. The current review examined and synthesized knowledge about loneliness among older adults who are homebound using Whittemore and Knafl's analysis process. Fourteen studies published from 1999 to 2020 met the inclusion criteria. The analysis resulted in four themes: characteristics of loneliness in older adults who are homebound, risks for homebound in older adults, location of older adults who are homebound, and coping strategies and methods to reduce loneliness in this population. Implications for nursing practice and recommendations for future research are discussed. [

Peer Reviewed

1

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