Evaluating the Impact of Loneliness on Seniors’ Mental Health, Research Paper Example

Socializing is a crucial part of human beings’ life. Individuals connect with others to survive and flourish. However, owing to aging, they become lonely (Lee et al., 2021). This isolation brings health-related issues such as heart diseases, a decrease in cognitive abilities, and depression. Canada has a significant portion of older adults who live in isolation, which poses these challenges to the health care system (Statistics Canada, 2011).  This paper will highlight the association between loneliness and mental health as well as its impact among the elderly in Canada.

Overview of Loneliness among the Elderly in Canada

Canada has 24.6% of individuals aged 65 and beyond living without friends or family (Statistics Canada, 2011). These statistics could be perilous as such people usually survive for a lesser number of years if they resided independently rather than with family and friends (Shankar et al., 2017). The emergence of COVID-19 has increased the possibility of loneliness and social isolation due to the stringent regulations. During isolation, the elders are prone to physical and mental issues, making it a concern to the Canadian healthcare system. It is, therefore, calls for researchers to conduct studies on the same and develop mitigation measures.

Causes of Loneliness among the Elderly

In Canada, there are several triggers of loneliness among the senior population.   One of the primary triggers includes the death of a partner or spouse (De Jong, 2015). Prior to their demise, the seniors might have attachment issues to their partners. This connection ends when one dies, which creates a gap in their life. It is this absence that increases their grief, which results in a surge of loneliness. Also, married couples usually hang out together. When one succumbs to death, the remaining partner feels that hanging out with others can be disrespectful or unfaithful to their previous marriage. Such issues increase loneliness among the seniors.

Additionally, retirement can be a catalyst for loneliness among elderly individuals. When they retire, most individuals contact their former colleagues, resulting in social isolation (Dej Jong, 2015). This separation from their daily work life pilots loneliness among the seniors. The primary reason is that it will be rare for individuals to have the usual human contact.  Even though some seniors might have spouses, loneliness due to retirement usually overshadows their relationships. When individuals work, socialization occurs naturally, which retirement eliminates.

Sometimes, the seniors usually live alone as they fear becoming a burden to their family or friends (Lee et al., 2021).  Elderly individuals understand the busy lives of their children regarding jobs and relationships. They usually avoid contact to enable them to run their errands smoothly. Also, they prefer not to have physical caregivers in their places. This denial makes loneliness to be prevalent among elderly individuals.  As they avoid bothering their sons and daughter, they become more prone to social isolation.

Another reason is that elderly individuals may lack adequate finances to support their daily social activities (Shrestha, 2017). Such events include going out to meet friends and playing outdoor games. These encounters are crucial in supporting their social life. The elderly individuals have inadequate finances as they have stopped working or catering for their increased medical bills. Seniors with retirement money usually spend a substantial amount on medical bills or their projects. They may be left with a little amount to facilitate their social lives. As such, they have left with little or no money for extracurricular activities apart from their basic needs. The elders without retirement money lack the means of engaging in social interactions; also, lack of retirement money results in the inability to finance mental health problems. As a result, the elders may end up being isolated.

Also, the inability of elderly individuals to drive themselves from one point to another is one of the root causes of loneliness in Canada (Choi & DiNitto, 2016). They are unable to operate their vehicles due to issues such as poor eyesight and fuel expenses. The elders cannot drive themselves because of chronic diseases such as dementia which can make them cause accidents. Consequently, the elderly cannot move from their homes unless being driven. The situation results in the elders being lonely. Chronic diseases for elders who live further distances results in fewer visits from their relatives. The elders living in such places may be far from amenities that may accord them company. Additionally, elderly individuals are usually in secluded locations far from their friends and family (Choi & DiNitto, 2016).  This separation occurs when their companions work away from home or during family breakups.

Loneliness and Seniors’ Mental Health

Mental health refers to the well-being of individuals at the social, emotional, and psychological levels. Loneliness has multiple adverse effects on the mental health state of the elderly (Sundström et al., 2018). According to Zhou et al. (2018), lonely elderly individuals suffer from chronic repercussions. It can affect them both from a mental and physical perspective.  For instance, research has associated loneliness with dementia. As people age, their cognitive abilities decrease, and social isolation is a catalyst to this process.  Studies have linked depression with loneliness as it triggers adverse feelings such as pain, low self-esteem, and sadness. These factors increase the risk of depression (Lee et al., 2021). Additionally, a study conducted by Shankar et al. has exposed the effects of loneliness regarding mortality (2017). The research found out that it increased the risk of mortality among the participants who were above 52 years.

Reducing the Prevalence of Loneliness in Elderly Individuals

The increase of loneliness among the elderly in Canada has become prevalent. Caregivers must be aware of its effects and mitigation methods. Preventing and reducing loneliness is the first step towards decreasing its impact on seniors’ mental health.  One of the primary solutions for eliminating social isolation and loneliness is awareness (Wu, 2020). Society needs to be aware of specific factors which accelerate its increase. Such actions include informing the public that aging does not portray weakness. This stereotypical view has made them live in isolation as other people perceive them as weaker beings (Wu, 2020). Also, there is a need to spread awareness regarding communism.  Canada should bolster connections and interactions among the community. These actions will benefit the elderly population.

Additionally, seniors should have access to services, programs, and information (Mohammed, 2018). Services such as telephone helpline or websites can enable the elderly to connect with other people, increasing socialization (Wu, 2020). Also, setting up business centers near the elderly will encourage interactions to meet their colleagues as they purchase their daily needs. Such businesses’ locations should be accessible by transport as this will motivate them to visit such places.

Other ways of increasing socialization among the seniors include encouraging them to continue attending their worship places and having pets. Research has shown that individuals going to church have lower mortality rates than those who stay at home (Hill et al., 2020). They benefit from the social interaction that the worship sessions provide and close observance from other churchgoers. A majority of the owners remained engaged socially, which significantly reduced the chances of being lonely than their counterparts. This action is concomitant with tending the gardens as both activities involve nurturing.

Implications to the Nursing Practice

As loneliness and mental health is an emerging concern in Canada, it requires the frontline staff to be part of the efforts in solving the problem. The solutions will, therefore, utilize a multifaceted approach to loneliness which follows the community health nursing standards of Canada (CHNC, 2019).  Such values include promoting health, professionalism, building relationships, and improving equity and access to health services (Shrestha. 2017). As the subject of loneliness is complex, specific interventions currently are ineffective as mental health among the elderly deteriorates. It, therefore, calls for a multidisciplinary understanding of the case to develop efficient solutions.

The first step in ensuring that nurses are conversant with loneliness as a challenge is educating them on the subject (Shrestha, 2017). The Canadian education system can include the topic of loneliness. Here, nursing students can understand its signs and symptoms among the elderly population. It will also enable them to uphold professionalism among the Canadian nursing standards of practice (CHNC, 2019). To make the educative programs more effective among the nurses already in the field, they should hold periodic workshops and seminars to comprehend loneliness among Canadian seniors.

The advancement of technology in the healthcare field has brought a myriad of nursing solutions regarding loneliness. Nurses can encourage elderly people to conduct video conferencing sessions with their family members while in the care centers (Naikc & Ueland, 2020). They can guide them through the required procedures and provide them with the necessary tools for the same. Studies have revealed that these interactions lower depressive symptoms than individuals in the control group.

Nurses can also provide cognitive behavioral therapy for the elderly concerning loneliness. They can introduce sessions to teach the elderly to understand the adverse effects of being lonely (Naikc & Ueland, 2020). In the same way, they can help them change their perception about socializing.  Owing to such actions, they can reevaluate their relationship with others. This psychosocial intervention will enable the seniors to make new friends and engage in community activities to improve their social functioning.

Community nurses can also play an essential role in reducing the menace through multiple interventions. Such actions include promoting social and physical activities among the population (Shrestha, 2017). Additionally, they can provide advice on how the elderly can improve their lifestyles. They can engage them in low-intensity exercises, which will help in alleviating the issue of loneliness. These exercises can have the best impact if done in groups. It can also lower the possibility of mental conditions such as anxiety and depression (Lee et al., 2021). Nurses should educate them on the benefits of gardening and walking on their health.

Still, community nurses can offer indirect interventions such as introducing initiatives to build society’s relationships, such as volunteering. They should target the elderly population as they are the ones at risk.  Additionally, community nurses can educate older individuals on the importance of life-long learning. This action will enable the elderly to continue meeting in institutions, eat together, discuss news and engage in social activities (Shrestha, 2017). It is, therefore, prudent to state that the rise of loneliness among elderly individuals will redefine the nursing practice as there is the development of new interventions to solve the problem.

Recommendations to the Nursing Practice

Despite the limited research on interventions to tackle loneliness among the elderly population, some studies have revealed specific practices that can improve their mental health. These interventions are crucial as they will revolutionize the nursing sector, especially among the seniors.  One of the most recommended steps is to raise awareness of the subject to promote health in the Canadian community (Wu, 2020). Nurses can depict the effects of loneliness and social isolation to create empathy among individuals. This way, they can advise them on mitigation measures such as the local support activities and services developed by the government and private agencies. By raising awareness, they will be fulfilling the duty to promote health care in the community.

Another solution that can make nursing operations more influential among the elderly is increasing the number of care centers in Canada. Here, the nurses should offer consultative meetings and widen their community networks (Sundström et al., 2018). They can have home visit sessions, transport to health care centers, and social activities such as games. It is vital for nurses in these centers to understand why such services are important for the elderly, especially regarding mental health and loneliness (Victor & Pikhartova, 2017). This way, they will become professional as they will be utilizing the knowledge they have garnered from studying the relevant nursing practices in Canada.

Also, it is of growing importance that community nurses have background knowledge on the effects of loneliness and mental health among elderly individuals (Sundström et al., 2018). Here, they need to understand social isolation indicators and the appropriate interventions towards the same. The nursing curricula should cover the subject in detail at the postgraduate and undergraduate levels. This action requires more training and workshops.  They can utilize aspects such as drama and art to curb the impacts of loneliness. This way, they will prevent the adverse impacts that loneliness causes among older adults. Additionally, they can learn how technology can help keep their clients connected to their friends and families (Mohammed, 2018). This action can help in alleviating the psychological and social issues emerging from loneliness.

Conclusion

Loneliness has significant repercussions on the mental state of individuals, especially among the elderly. In Canada, they represent a considerable percentage of the population. It, therefore, calls for the relevant agencies to enact measures to address the challenge. Some of the identified interventions include using technology, educating the nurses, and raising awareness on the issue. Education will enable the practitioners to identify individuals suffering from social isolation, while awareness will enhance the affected and non-affected population to have a watchful eye on their health. Doing so will reduce the consequences of loneliness, such as depression, dementia, and stress. The nursing education system should continually develop solutions that will cement the current interventions, especially modern technology. This action requires both the private and public institutions’ input to contribute to such studies as long as they observe standard Canada’s community nursing guidelines.

References

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