Loneliness is a geriatric syndrome associated with impaired health, poor quality of
life, cognitive decline, and increased mortality.
1
,
2
,
3
,
4
Loneliness has been defined as a subjective feeling, a discrepancy between a person's
own expectations and one's actual social network.
5
Therefore, one can suffer from loneliness even if surrounded by others.
6
Feelings of loneliness are common among older people. Approximately 4% to 9% of community-dwelling
older people suffer from constant loneliness, and an additional one-third may experience
some degree of loneliness.
7
,
8
However, very little is known about the prevalence of loneliness in nursing homes
even though residents in such institutions are suggested to be at risk for loneliness.
7
One Norwegian study showed that 54% of cognitively intact nursing home residents
suffer from loneliness.
9
However, cognitively intact residents are a minority among nursing home residents.
10
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Circle of friends. Available at: http://www.vtkl.fi/fin/toimimme/ystavapiiri_toiminta/circle_of_friends/. Accessed February 24, 2016.
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Published online: May 20, 2016
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© 2016 AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
