What we did
To understand the scope of the research on social isolation in aged care, we carried out a scoping review to find systematic reviews on this topic. We then analysed the reviews to identify the major themes discussed across this literature.
What we found
The scoping review identified 16 reviews on social isolation and aged care published since 2012. From these reviews, seven theme topics commonly highlighted in the reviews were identified. These topics have become the ‘evidence themes’ within the Knowledge Hub. They include information and communication technology (ICT), social support, reminiscence therapy, social connectivity, negative health impacts of social isolation, cognitive interventions and task or activity programs.
Conclusion
There is a scant body of evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions for social isolation in aged care settings, particularly on what works for whom, and under what circumstances. More research is urgently needed to address this important issue.