A new study pinpointed obstacles to and facilitators for social connections among people living in and working in long-term care communities. Care policies, staff selection and worker training can all help residents and staff foster more social connections.
The report was published Tuesday in BMC Geriatrics.
Researchers conducted individual and group interviews that included 67 participants in total. The interviewees comprised 18 residents, 17 staff members and clinicians, and 32 family members and friends who were recruited from long-term care communities in the United Kingdom and Canada. Interviews focused on aspects of social connection in long-term care communities.
The investigators categorized the responses among four groups, or themes, related to social interactions: Familiarity with life in long-term care communities, physical and virtual access beyond the communities, getting to know residents, and person-centered ways to build social connections.
The first theme focused on helping residents spend time in meaningful ways and increasing their freedom of mobility throughout the facility. The second theme on physical and virtual access included responses on the benefits of outings, providing support with technology, and involving family and friends in the community. The third category was related to using routine care to build opportunities for social contact, and the fourth category considered individuals’ physical, mental, cognitive, psychosocial, and sensory needs to provide customized interactions.
The findings align with previous research, which showed that finding meaning in long-term care communities is associated with individual and community-level factors.
Also, purposeful connections can help residents feel like they’re not institutionalized, the authors wrote. Adding spontaneous activities to create variety in the community and encouraging a culture of community and care among residents are both essential to forging beneficial social interactions.
“A lack of autonomy in who long-term care residents choose to spend time with can impede their sense of control and negatively impact social engagement. Long-term care homes must balance shelter and care with freedom and autonomy,” the authors wrote.
