Being in a Bubble: the experience of loneliness among frail older people

AimThe aim of this study was to explore the experience of loneliness among frail older people living at home. BackgroundLoneliness is a threat to the physical and psychological well-being with serious consequences if left unattended. There are associations between frailty and poor psychological well-being, implying that frail older people who experience loneliness are vulnerable. DesignQualitative content analysis, focusing on both latent and manifest content. MethodFrail older people (65+years), living at home and who have experienced various levels in intensity of loneliness, were purposively selected from a larger interventional study (N=12). For this study, frail' means being dependent in activities of daily life and having repeated contacts with healthcare services. Data were collected between December 2009-August 2011. Semi-structured interviews were performed, audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. FindingsThe analysis resulted in the overall theme Being in a Bubble', which illustrates an experience of living in an ongoing world, but excluded because of the participants' social surroundings and the impossibility to regain losses. The theme Barriers' was interpreted as facing physical, psychological and social barriers for overcoming loneliness. The theme Hopelessness' reveals the experience when not succeeding in overcoming these barriers, including seeing loneliness as a constant state. A positive co-existing dimension of loneliness, offering independence, was reflected in the theme Freedom'. ConclusionThe findings suggest that future strategies for intervening should target the frail older persons' individual barriers and promoting the positive co-existing dimension of loneliness. When caring, a person centred approach, encompassing knowledge regarding physical and psychological aspects, including loneliness, is recommended.