Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Sep;41(3):431-439.
doi: 10.1111/ajag.13062. Epub 2022 Mar 10.

COVID-19 restrictions increased perceptions of social isolation for older people discharged home after rehabilitation: A mixed-methods study

Georgia Hogan  1 , Nicholas F Taylor  2   3 , Leslie Robins  1 , Michele L Callisaya  4   5   6 , Megan Snowdon  5 , Chris Moran  4   5   6 , David A Snowdon  4   5   6
Affiliations

COVID-19 restrictions increased perceptions of social isolation for older people discharged home after rehabilitation: A mixed-methods study

Georgia Hogan et al. Australas J Ageing. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: To explore older persons' perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on participating in community activities after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.

Methods: Mixed-methods study design. Participants were older adults who were discharged home following inpatient rehabilitation. Interviews were conducted with 70 participants, with a variety of diagnoses, 8 weeks after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Frequency of participation in domestic, leisure/work and outdoor activities was measured using the Frenchay Activities Index (FAI). Qualitative analysis was completed using qualitative content analysis and triangulated with FAI scores.

Results: In all, 70 older adults (mean age: 73.0 years, SD: 9.9; 59% female) participated in the study. The overarching theme was that participants felt socially isolated following discharge from rehabilitation, with COVID-19 restrictions increasing perceptions of social isolation and complicating their return to participating in community activities. The four categories informing the overarching theme were as follows: physical health was the primary limitation to participation in community activities; COVID-19 restrictions limited participation in social activities and centre-based physical rehabilitation; low uptake of videoconferencing to facilitate socialisation and rehabilitation; and reduced incidental physical activity. Mean FAI score was 21.2 (SD 7.8), indicating that participants were moderately active. Participants most commonly performed domestic activities (mean: 10.0, SD: 4.1), followed by outdoor activities (mean: 6.6, SD: 3.5) and leisure/work activities (mean: 4.5, SD: 2.5).

Conclusions: COVID-19 restrictions exacerbated perceptions of social isolation and the limitations already imposed by poor physical health after discharge from rehabilitation. The findings highlight the need for rehabilitation that addresses the psychological and social dimensions of community reintegration.

Keywords: COVID-19; activities of daily living; community integration; community participation; rehabilitation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Chris Moran serves on the Australasian Journal on Ageing management committee.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Social isolation following discharge from inpatient rehabilitation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Yasui NY, Berven NL. Community integration: conceptualisation and measurement. Disabil Rehabil. 2009;31(9):761–771. - PubMed
    1. Grimmer K, Moss J, Falco J. Experiences of elderly patients regarding independent community living after discharge from hospital: a longitudinal study. Int J Qual Health Care. 2004;16(6):465–472. - PubMed
    1. Taylor NF, Barelli C, Harding KE. Community ambulation before and after hip fracture: a qualitative analysis. Disabil Rehabil. 2010;32(15):1281–1290. - PubMed
    1. Sturman D, Auton JC, Thacker J. Knowledge of social distancing measures and adherence to restrictions during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Health Promot J Austr. 2021;32(2):344–351. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Usher K, Bhullar N, Jackson D. Life in the pandemic: social isolation and mental health. J Clin Nurs. 2020;29(15–16):2756–2757. - PubMed