Reducing Social Isolation of Seniors during COVID-19 through Medical Student Telephone Contact

Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
Emma E OfficeLee A Lindquist

Abstract

Social isolation has been associated with many adverse health outcomes in older adults. We describe a phone call outreach program in which health care professional student volunteers phoned older adults, living in long-term care facilities and the community, at risk of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversation topics were related to coping, including fears or insecurities, isolation, and sources of support; health; and personal topics such as family and friends, hobbies, and life experiences. Student volunteers felt the calls were impactful both for the students and for the seniors, and call recipients expressed appreciation for receiving the calls and for the physicians who referred them for a call. This phone outreach strategy is easily generalizable and can be adopted by medical schools to leverage students to connect to socially isolated seniors in numerous settings.

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Citations

Aug 25, 2020·Harm Reduction Journal·Tessa S MarcusJannie F Hugo
Oct 30, 2020·Frontiers in Psychology·Ana Luisa PedrosaAna Cristina Simões E Silva
Feb 21, 2021·Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·Erin P McDonnellZahava Nilly Brodt-Ciner
Mar 16, 2021·JMIR Aging·Audrey LebrasseurFrançois Routhier
Mar 23, 2021·Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development·Claire C FergusonNatalie A Manley
Apr 4, 2021·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Eimile HoltonJoanna McHugh Power
May 8, 2021·Journal of the American Medical Directors Association·Barbara J BowersKatherine S McGilton
Jun 19, 2021·Journal of Primary Care & Community Health·Terrance L Baker, Jack V Greiner
Jun 22, 2021·Gerontology & Geriatrics Education·Abigale J MillerJane F Potter
Aug 2, 2020·Journal of the American Medical Directors Association·David A SmithPaul R Katz
Aug 3, 2021·Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·Nina L BlachmanJoshua Chodosh
Sep 22, 2021·Journal of Gerontological Social Work·H Wayne Nelson, F Ellen Netting

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