Why Nursing Home Residents Use Social Network Systems: An Attachment Perspective.

I.-Chiu Chang,Cheng-Yi Chiang,Kuei-Chen Cheng,Chang-Kuo Hu

doi:10.3390/healthcare9081037

I.-Chiu Chang, Cheng-Yi Chiang + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9081037

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Abstract

Most long-term care facilities can offer residents’ with sufficiently material and physical care, but psychological support may not be always provided due to the tight financial budget or labor resources. Residents’ isolation and loneliness then become a big issue, especially for the residents. Social network systems (SNS) have been proved to be a more effective information transmission channel for thoughts, perspectives, and information sharing than traditional channels such as microblogging, e-mails, or telephones. This study conducted a quasi-experiment to identify factors that influence residents’ intention of using SNS and the impacts of SNS on them in a long-term care facility. The results showed that residents’ attached motivation of personal interacting is a significant factor that influences their intention to use the social network platform. Meanwhile, both the loneliness and depression scales of the participants were decreased significantly.

Highlights

Aging becomes global trendAcademic Editors: Daniele Giansanti and Jonathan TritterReceived: 8 April 2021 Accepted: 30 July 2021 Published: 12 August 2021Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Due to the drop of the birth rate and longer life expectancy, the age group of over than 65 years old will rapidly increase
The questionnaire is adopted from other studies which may not reflect entirely the condition of institutionalized residents; other variables need to be considered for future study
In lieu of the successful experiences of using Social network systems (SNS) among the younger generation, this study explored the similar tools to the institutionalized resident in order to involve them in social interaction

Summary

Introduction

Aging becomes global trendAcademic Editors: Daniele Giansanti and Jonathan TritterReceived: 8 April 2021 Accepted: 30 July 2021 Published: 12 August 2021Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Due to the drop of the birth rate and longer life expectancy, the age group of over than 65 years old will rapidly increase. Received: 8 April 2021 Accepted: 30 July 2021 Published: 12 August 2021. Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Due to the drop of the birth rate and longer life expectancy, the age group of over than 65 years old will rapidly increase. Longer life expectancy makes the resident often face various types of losses including death of one’s spouse, family members, or friends. The decline of elderly living in long-term care facilities may accelerate, because most long-term care facilities can offer residents’ satisfactory material and physical care, yet there is a lack of sufficient psychological support from family members or friends

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