Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre (WDREC), Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia.
School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia.
Health Expect. 2017 Oct;20(5):1154-1162. doi: 10.1111/hex.12561. Epub 2017 Apr 11.
Older adults living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) often experience limited opportunities for social connection despite close proximity to peers, which has implications for mental health and quality of life (QoL). The introduction of large-scale undergraduate health student placements in RACFs may enhance opportunities for meaningful engagement through social connection, although this remains unexplored.
This research explores whether interpersonal encounters between health students and RACF residents influence residents' opportunities for social connection and QoL.
A mixed methods design was employed which included questionnaire data from residents, and qualitative interview data from residents, family members and RACF staff. Data were collected during and after student placements to allow for an in-depth exploration of residents, family members and staff perspectives.
Forty-three participants (28 residents, 10 staff and five family members) were recruited during 2014. Overall, many residents had clinical levels of depression, mild cognitive impairment and multiple morbidities, however reported moderate-to-good QoL. Thematic analysis was undertaken on interview transcripts, and three themes emerged: (i) social isolation and loneliness fostered by residents' age-related conditions, (ii) students expand socially supportive connections beyond the RACF and (iii) meaning making by sharing health experiences, which was found to help renegotiate older adults' pervasive narrative of vulnerability.
Supported and structured health student placements in RACFs enable older adults to participate in meaningful encounters with younger people. These encounters focus on sharing health experiences and address long-standing issues of isolation and loneliness by providing opportunities for social connection.
居住在养老院的老年人尽管与同龄人近在咫尺，但社交机会有限，这对他们的心理健康和生活质量（QoL）有影响。在养老院引入大规模的本科医学生实习项目可能会通过社交联系增加有意义的互动机会，但这一点尚未得到探索。
本研究探讨医学生与养老院居民之间的人际互动是否会影响居民的社交机会和生活质量。
采用混合方法设计，包括居民的问卷调查数据和居民、家属和养老院工作人员的定性访谈数据。数据是在学生实习期间和之后收集的，以便深入探讨居民、家属和工作人员的观点。
2014 年共招募了 43 名参与者（28 名居民、10 名工作人员和 5 名家属）。总体而言，许多居民都有临床水平的抑郁、轻度认知障碍和多种合并症，但报告的生活质量为中等至良好。对访谈记录进行了主题分析，得出了三个主题：（i）居民年龄相关状况导致的社会隔离和孤独感，（ii）学生在养老院之外扩大了社会支持性联系，（iii）通过分享健康经验来赋予意义，这有助于重新协商老年人普遍存在的脆弱性叙述。
在养老院中，有支持和结构的医学生实习项目使老年人能够参与与年轻人的有意义互动。这些互动侧重于分享健康经验，并通过提供社交联系的机会，解决长期存在的孤立和孤独问题。
