The Impact of ICT Usage on Older Adults Residing in Institutional Settings Amidst the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic - Enhancing Emotional Experiences

Abstract

The proportion of older adults is increasing every year in Slovenia and in developed countries. Older adults living in institutional settings have been faced with several measures intended for the containment of the spread of the coronavirus disease that have increased social isolation and feelings of loneliness. ICT has positive effects on the quality of life and well-being of older people as it mitigates the effects of social isolation. With the research, we wanted to find out how measures to contain the coronavirus disease affect the self-assessment of the experiencing of emotions in older adults living in an institutional environment. We chose a quantitative research method. 128 older adults who met the inclusion criteria participated in a non-random, casual sample. We collected the data using a questionnaire. We used a standardised and validated SPANE positive and negative emotion scale. Based on the research, we conclude that there are statistically significant differences with a risk of less than 5% between male and female residents in experiencing two positive emotions: kindness (p = 0.011) and happiness (p = 0.044) and also for two negative emotions: sadness (p = 0.001) and anger (p = 0.039). In the self-assessment of the experience of negative emotions among residents living in an institutional environment, we note that negative emotions among residents in the age groups up to 80 years and 81 years and older differ statistically significantly in one negative emotion, i.e., sadness (p = 0.002). We do not find statistically significant differences between religious and non-religious residents. Health and social workers working with the older adults need to pay more attention to the use of ICT in the future, because we find that the use of ICT has different effects on the experience of emotions.