A profile of social isolation and the influence of demographics in older persons living in residential care, Durban, South Africa
Date
2020-12-02Author
Chipps, Jennifer
Ramlall, Suvira
Jarvis, Mary Ann
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Introduction: Residential care settings have shown high social isolation rates with incumbent risks necessitating
measurement to formulate health promotion policies.
Objective: To measure social isolation levels in older persons living in a lower socio-economic residential care
setting in South Africa.
Method: A cross sectional survey with older persons from four inner city residential care facilities. A researcher administered questionnaire was developed based on the Working Paper No.66, Oxford Poverty and Human
Development Initiative. Data were analysed to describe social isolation and assess the influence of demographics.
Results: The response rate was 72.14% (n = 277) and representative of the residential care population for age and
gender. Nearly half of the respondents (47.3%) met criteria for social isolation in terms of social network support
and density and almost 20% for perceived isolation through decreased levels of friendship.
Conclusion: Although residential care does not prevent social isolation, the residents in the setting may provide a
buffering in the provision of some social support