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There have been growing concerns that social distancing and stay-at-home mandates have exacerbated loneliness for older people. Empirical evidence about older people's experiences of loneliness and COVID-19 have quantified this phenomena without considering how older people themselves define and understand loneliness. This paper explores how older New Zealanders conceptualized and experienced loneliness under 'lockdown' stay-at-home measures. This multi-methods qualitative study combines data from letters (n = 870) and interviews (n = 44) collected from 914 people aged over 60 and living in Aotearoa, New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a reflexive thematic analysis to conceptualise this data. We identify three interconnected ways in which older people conceptualised and experienced loneliness: (1) feeling disconnected relating to lack of emotional closeness to another often resulting from being physically separated from others and not being able to touch; (2) feeling imprisoned relating to separation from preferred identities and activities and was frequently associated with boredom and frustration; and (3) feeling neglected which often related to feeling let down by generalised and idealised forms of support, such as one's neighbourhood and health care system. Older New Zealanders experienced lockdown loneliness in three interconnected ways rather than as a stable and homogenous experience. Māori, Pacific, Asian and New Zealand European older people often discussed loneliness in different ways; attesting to loneliness being a culturally-mediated concept shaped by expectations around desirable social interaction. We conclude the paper with implications for research and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Whilst qualitative research has previously been conducted on older people's personal resilience and wellbeing during COVID-19, there are fewer empirical studies on the impact it had on social connectedness for this age group. In this paper we seek to examine older people's social connectedness to others during the pandemic, their personal experiences of seeking out those connections, and whether there are any identifiable pre-existing factors that enabled them to minimise the impact of enforced isolation. Methods: Using a phenomenological methodology, we conducted in-depth interviews with 13 older people between March and May 2021. These interviews explored the participant's lived experiences of staying socially connected to others during the enforced lockdowns and various restrictions. Results: Our findings reveal strong themes of personal resilience, sense of coherence and other protective factors, but also highlight the benefits of establishing connections to friends, family, organised groups and community prior to the pandemic. Conclusion: Older people's ability to stay socially connected is influenced by personal resilience and a positive mindset; pre-existing social ties to others and maintaining a personal sense of coherence and a sense of belonging to people or places. Our findings shed light on the importance of informal social interactions, what it means to feel lonely in older age and indicate that for some the pandemic restrictions may even have offered a welcome space in which to process significant life events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ageing does not reduce people's need to connect with family members, friends, and acquaintances, and neither does migration. For those older migrants living in a foreign land, connectedness with others plays a particularly important role in achieving a sense of belonging and sustaining their health and well‐being. This paper explores the issues of social isolation and loneliness among older Asian migrants in New Zealand. Data were collected from in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with Chinese‐ or Korean‐speaking migrants aged between 75 and 84 years (n = 10: all females), and from three focus groups consisting of Chinese‐ and Korean‐speaking migrants (n = 10: 7 females, 3 males) and Chinese professionals (n = 5: 3 females, 2 males) between June 2016 and December 2016. The qualitative data obtained were analysed applying a thematic analysis approach using NVivo software for group analysis by a multidisciplinary research team. The findings from the study show that older Asian migrants experienced high levels of isolation and loneliness at least at some points in their migrant lives. Most participants in this study were living alone or with only their spouse, and this living arrangement was likely to provide fertile ground for isolation and loneliness to grow in the context of later‐life migration. It was also observed that their lonely ageing ironically resulted from their efforts to preserve family relationships through avoiding being a burden, while allowing them a sort of space to maintain now barely connected lives. The participants revealed multiple ways of coping with lonely and isolated experiences in their limited social network, and these individual strategies allow us to make suggestions about how best to reduce older migrants' social isolation and loneliness in the New Zealand context and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many older people in Britain spend Christmas day alone. The Christmas period may be especially difficult for older people who are socially isolated, living with dementia or who have physical impairments, and may feel particularly marginalised at this time of year. This paper draws on evaluative research findings from a community Christmas event held in December 2014 at the University of Salford for older people and their carers who would be on their own on Christmas day. A multi-method approach was employed, seven guests took part in semi-structured interviews to explore their experiences and perceptions of the event, seven staff and student volunteers participated in a group interview to explore and discuss their participation in the event. Data collection took place during April and May 2015. Interview transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. Three overarching themes were identified from the interviews: 'reasons for participants attending the event', 'a different Christmas day: the impact on guests and volunteers', and 'learning, planning and moving forwards'. The findings illustrate that a range of people participated in the Christmas day event for a variety of reasons. The event itself had a positive impact, including the shared experience of social belonging, for all involved. There are tangible longer term benefits as a result of the event, such as ongoing contact between participants and the development of supportive networks in the local community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the effects of social isolation which can lead to increasing feelings of loneliness and abandonment for some are examined. The article analyses findings which emerged from a qualitative study carried out with older people in three distinct areas in Scotland (city, rural and urban) who were shielding during Covid-19. It focuses on the ways in which social isolation affected them and the extent to which information and communication technology (ICT) and telecare technologies served to mitigate key aspects. The key themes which emerged from the research included loneliness as 'multi-layered', with these layers including 'disconnections between loneliness and social isolation'; 'well-being reversals'; 'neighbours as strangers'; 'disjointed communities and co-production' and 'service abandonment'. Additional themes which emerged focused on 'ICT rebounds and evolvement' and 'hope, buoyancy and reciprocity'. These layers and themes can be seen to have longer term significance with regard to the implications for social work and social care planning as we move forward. They also emphasise the need for greater cohesiveness between health, telecare and social care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background the transition to nursing home care has previously been linked to negative outcomes for spousal caregivers of persons with dementia (PwD). However, little is known about the experience or trajectory of loneliness in spousal caregivers during this time. Objectives to explore experiences of loneliness in caregivers during the nursing home admission of their spouse or partner with dementia. Methods semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 individuals living in Ireland between Oct 2020 and June 2021, who were married to/partnered with a PwD who had, in the past 7 years, moved to full-time nursing home care. Data were collected and analysed using a deductive qualitative analytic strategy in the grounded theory tradition. Results data were interpreted in the context of Weiss' typology of social and emotional loneliness and indicated that social loneliness increased for many at the point of diagnosis, decreasing somewhat after the transition, while emotional loneliness increased across the transition. Data were used to refine an existing synthesised model of loneliness, providing an updated model of the causes and contexts of loneliness. Conclusions the transition to nursing home care differentially affects loneliness subtypes. Results have implications for other transitions, which should be assessed in terms of various subtypes of loneliness. Our refined theoretical synthesis model of loneliness also warrants further evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many interventions to combat the social isolation of older adults are hardly effective because they ignore both the heterogeneity of the target group and the uniqueness of the individual experiences of social isolation. In order to be effective, interventions must meet the individual needs of specific clients. In this study, we aim to gain insight into the process in which professionals seek to understand how clients assess their situation, and what this means for the help they provide. We investigated how social workers in one‐to‐one guidance trajectories try to attune to the needs of the clients they accompany and what considerations they make in doing so. The study was conducted between 2014 and 2017 in the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Participants were 20 social workers of 8 social work agencies who provided guidance to community‐dwelling older adults who have been isolated for a long time and have problems in multiple life domains. We analysed 36 research‐driven logbooks, written by the social workers, which contain case study descriptions with information about specific clients who belong to the target group of this study. We also interviewed the individual social workers and organised six focus groups with 8–12 of the participating social workers. Our findings make clear how social workers try to identify the needs of their clients and provide help that is tailored to their possibilities and ambitions. By giving recognition to the emotions and situations of their clients, and by practical problem‐solving, they build a relationship with the older adults in which adequate help is accepted. The professionals set modest goals; their guidance helps stabilise the existing situation and may also contribute to the self‐reliance of their clients. This knowledge will be highly valuable in the developing and implementation of programmes and interventions for this less‐researched group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To describe and compare the perceived social provision for a group reporting never feeling lonely with that of a group reporting feeling lonely and to explore the meaning of loneliness. Subjects Participants (N = 101) were recruited from geriatric wards. Inclusion criteria were as follows: aged 65 years or more, the absence of dementia, one or more chronic physical disorders and plans to be discharged from the hospital to their home. The mean age was 81.3 years (range: 65-96 years), 68% were women, and 66% lived alone. Measures Assessments of social provisions and loneliness were collected by a subjective report using the Social Provision Scale ( SPS), and the Montgomery-Aasberg Depression Rating Scale ( MADRS) was used to assess depression. The participants were also asked whether they felt lonely and were then asked to describe the meaning of loneliness if they had indicated feeling lonely. Narratives were then condensed by the participants into short sentences. Results Seventy-five per cent of the participants reported feeling lonely, of these 54% were living alone, and 18% identified with depression. Three subscales of SPS scores were significantly lower in the lonely group: attachment (p < 0.001), a sense of reliable alliance (p = 0.001) and the obtaining of guidance (p = 0.01). The overall view of the experience of loneliness was dominated by emptiness and negative emotions. The following themes were identified: Emotions were dominated by sadness, anxiety and restlessness, anger and guilt. Relationships were dominated by being left alone, being confined and feeling useless. Existential dimensions were characterised by emptiness, endless boredom, isolation and the potential for change. Conclusion The study shows that loneliness is prevalent among older people suffering from chronic physical illness and confirms the complexity of the concept. A mixed-methods design contributed to nuanced and detailed information about the meaning of loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

kirkevold m., moyle w., wilkinson c., meyer j. & hauge s. (2012) Facing the challenge of adapting to a life 'alone' in old age: the influence of losses. Journal of Advanced Nursing 69(2), 394-403. Abstract Aim. The aim of this study is to explore older people's approaches to living a life characterized by losses and 'aloneness' and how this relates to loneliness. Background. Loneliness is closely related to social status and health condition. Older people are vulnerable to experiences of loneliness due to losses, which follow the ageing process. Method. A qualitative interpretative design was used. Older people, aged 65 and above, living at home, in retirement villages, or in long-term care settings in Australia, Norway, and UK participated. Seventy-eight persons were included. Data were collected through open-ended interviews during autumn of 2006 and spring of 2007. The interviews were audio taped, transcribed, and analysed applying a hermeneutic, interpretative process. Findings. Analyses revealed great differences in the way participants handled their life situation. Interviewees describing themselves as 'not lonely' viewed losses as normal, and they participated in meaningful activities, connected to other people and thrived in their own company. Those describing themselves as 'lonely' on the other hand, strove to create meaning in their lives, were overwhelmed by losses, had problems finding meaningful activities and difficulty keeping up social relations. Conclusion. Loneliness was associated with overwhelming losses, inactivity, meaninglessness, and social isolation. The contrasting findings between 'not lonely' and 'lonely' older people have implications for nursing in that nurses must seek to identify those who need help in managing their loneliness and give guidance and support. More research is needed to develop interventions that are effective in reducing loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]