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
. 2024 Sep;17(3):649-674.
doi: 10.1007/s12062-022-09387-1. Epub 2022 Aug 16.

Health Outcomes of Elder Orphans: An Umbrella and Scoping Review of the Literature

Regina Roofeh  1   2 , Dylan M Smith  3 , Lauren Hale  3 , Sean A P Clouston  3
Affiliations

Health Outcomes of Elder Orphans: An Umbrella and Scoping Review of the Literature

Regina Roofeh et al. J Popul Ageing. 2024 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives: As the population of elder orphans grows, little research has investigated the health outcomes of these socially and physically isolated older adults without caregiving support. Umbrella and scoping reviews were performed for studies examining health outcomes of older adults experiencing elements of elder orphanhood.

Methods: Studies published 2010- June 2021 and indexed on PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Medline, or SocINDEX were eligible. Results of included studies were examined both by individual category and overall to determine overlapping outcomes.

Results: Umbrella review returned 1,686 studies, with 14 meeting criteria for social isolation (n=10) and physical isolation (n=4). The scoping review of studies examining unmet caregiving need returned 3,741 results: five met inclusion criteria.

Discussion: Included studies reviewed differing health outcomes in older adults, with a focus on dementia, frailty, and healthcare utilization. Further studies are needed that appraise targeted policies and interventions to improve health outcomes of elder orphans.

Keywords: Elder orphan; caregiving need; physical isolation; social isolation; umbrella review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations Conflicts of Interest The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of umbrella search results for social isolation, physical isolation, and caregiving needs in older adults
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Flow diagram of scoping search results for literature regarding older adults who have unmet caregiving needs
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Diagram of overlap of health outcomes of Social Isolation, Physical Isolation, and Caregiver Need. Solid purple line indicates an increase in that outcome in older adults experiencing that explanatory factor and orange dashed line indicates a decrease in the health outcome
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adamuz J, Juvé-Udina M-E, González-Samartino M, Jiménez-Martínez E, Tapia-Pérez M, López-Jiménez M-M, Romero-Garcia M, & Delgado-Hito P (2020). Care complexity individual factors associated with adverse events and in-hospital mortality. PLOS ONE, 15(7), e0236370–e0236370. 10.1371/journal.pone.0236370 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Adelman RD, Tmanova LL, Delgado D, Dion S, & Lachs MS (2014). Caregiver Burden: A Clinical Review. JAMA, 311(10), 1052–1060. 10.1001/jama.2014.304 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Aromataris E, Fernandez R, Godfrey C, Holly C, Khalil H, & Tungpunkom P (2020). Chapter 10: Umbrella Reviews. In Aromataris E & Munn Z (Eds.), JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis JBI. 10.46658/JBIMES-20-11 - DOI
    1. Berglund E, Lytsy P, & Westerling R (2019). Living environment, social support, and informal caregiving are associated with healthcare seeking behaviour and adherence to medication treatment: A cross-sectional population study [ 10.1111/hsc.12758]. Health & Social Care in the Community, 27(5), 1260–1270. 10.1111/hsc.12758 - DOI - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Besora-Moreno M, Llauradó E, Tarro L, & Solà R (2020). Social and Economic Factors and Malnutrition or the Risk of Malnutrition in the Elderly: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Nutrients, 12(3). 10.3390/nu12030737 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources