Loneliness among older adults living in aged residential care in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia: An integrative review

Abstract
Loneliness is prevalent among older adults living in aged residential care and negatively impacts on health and wellbeing. Although loneliness is a serious issue among older adults in aged residential care, there is still limited understanding of how loneliness can be ameliorated in this setting. The aim of this integrative review was to synthesise available evidence on loneliness among older adults in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australian aged residential care settings and identify interventions that ameliorate loneliness for residents. An extensive literature search was undertaken from online databases: CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus. A total of 338 articles published in English from 2011 to 2021 were initially identified. Seven articles satisfied the inclusion criteria and were selected for review. The main themes identified were: ‘Helping others,’ ‘Meaningful engagement and inclusion,’ and ‘Person-centred care.’ Results from studies indicate that policymakers, health care providers, and health professionals in the aged care sector need to develop and implement interventions that foster reciprocal relationships and promote quality social engagement with others. Person-centred care needs to be enacted in aged residential care to reduce loneliness in older adults. In addition, staff should support residents to maintain meaningful connections with family and friends.

Ngā ariā matua
E kitea nuitia ana te mokemoke i waenga i ngā pakeke taikaumātua e noho ana i ngā kāinga manaaki kaumātua, ā, he nui ōna pānga ki te hauora me te toiora tangata. Ahakoa tērā, he iti noa te mōhiotanga me pēhea te whakatika i tēnei noho mokemoke i ēnei kāinga. Ko te whāinga o tēnei arotake tōnui he whakahiato i ngā taunakitanga e wātea ana mō te mokemoke i waenga i ngā pakeke taikaumātua kua kaumātuatia i Aotearoa me Ahitereiria, me ngā kāinga noho manaaki kaumātua. I whāia he rapunga torowhānui mai i ngā patengi raraunga tuihono e whai ake nei: CINAHL, PsycINFO, me Scopus. I tohua tētahi rārangi tuhinga 338 te maha, mai i 2011 ki 2021, (ki te reo Ingarihi), i te tuatahi. I tutuki ngā paearu whakauru i ētahi tuhinga e whitu, ā, ka whakaurua kia arotakea. Ko ngā tāhuhu matua i waitohungia inā: 'te āwhina i ētahi atu,' 'te tūturutanga o te aropā me te whai wāhi atu', me 'te manaaki i te tangata i te whare herehere.' Nā ngā kitenga mai i ngā rangahau ka mārama te whakatau, me whakawhanake, me whakatinana hoki te hunga whakatakoto kaupapa here, ngā kaiwhakarato hauora me ngā kaimahi hauora ngaio i te rāngai manaaki kaumātua i ngā taurimatanga whakapakari whanaungatanga, whakapiki hoki i te tūtaki ā-kanohi ki te tangata. Me whakauru mai he manaakitanga hāngai ki te tangata i roto i ngā kāinga noho manaaki kaumātua, hei kaupare i te noho mokemoke o te pakeke taikaumātua kē atu. I tua atu i tērā, me mātua tautoko ngā kaimahi i te hunga noho i roto kia pūmau ai ngā hononga i waenga i ngā whānau me ngā hoa.

Keywords / Ngā kupu matua
aged residential care/kāinga noho manaaaki kaumātua; integrative review/arotake tōnui; interventions/ taurimatanga; loneliness/mokemoke; older adults/ngā pakeke taikaumātua