Evaluating Social Connection and Well-being in an Intergenerational Telephone Visit Program during the COVID pandemic: A Pilot Study

Abstract

IntroductionPublic health recommendations during COVID-19 have resulted in greater objective social isolation among older adults, putting them at risk for loneliness, depression and worsening of age-related morbidities such as cognitive impairment and cardiovascular disease. During the pandemic, volunteer organizations, such as the Concordium Program at Harvard College, have offered friendly telephone visits to older adults in the community to relieve feelings of loneliness and to promote emotional well-being, though the acceptability and efficacy of these interventions have not been well-established. This study evaluated the methods and participant experience of a remotely-delivered intergenerational, telephone intervention for older adults living alone during the COVID-19 pandemic and assessed measures of socioemotional well-being before, during, and after the intervention.MethodsWe recruited nine community-dwelling adults who lived alone and endorsed loneliness through a research registry and clinic referrals. Individuals with hearing impairment were excluded. Nine undergraduates were recruited from the Harvard Concordium Program and were paired with an older adult participant based on mutual interests. Each dyad engaged in 8 weekly, 30 minute, unscripted telephone conversations. Each member of the pair answered online questionnaires at weeks 0 (pre), 4 (mid), and 8 (post) designed to assess loneliness (PROMIS Social Isolation Scale [PROMS]) and other aspects of psychological well-being (San Diego Wisdom Scale [SDW], Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale [BADS], Positive Affect and Well-Being Scale [PAWB], Perceived Stress Scale [PSS]). After completing all visits, older and younger adult participants responded to qualitative questions to evaluate the experience of the friendly visits through content analysis.ResultsFrom March to August 2021, 18 participants were enrolled, 9 of whom were older adults (mean age 74.53 [70-84], 88% women), 13 completed the study, and five dropped out.Among older adults who completed, numerical scores for loneliness, stress, and behavioral activation changed in an improved direction. Pre- and post-study mean scores and baseline standard deviation for older adults who completed are reported: PROMS (x¯=31.7, 27.7; sd=5.06), BADS (x¯=27.6, 35.1; sd=13.11) PAWB (x¯=33.4, 33.0; sd=5.51), PSS (x¯=14.4, 13.9; sd=4.35), SDW (x¯=83.6, 81.9; sd=4.72).ConclusionsPreliminary quantitative results point to possible improvements in loneliness, behavioral activation and perceived stress, though limited by low statistical power. Findings from this study will inform methods to optimize recruitment, improve implementation, and assess the effectiveness of friendly telephone visits to enhance social connection between younger and older adults in clinical and community settings.This research was funded byBrigham and Women's Hospital COVID Relief Fund