Souraya Sidani, Melissa Northwood, Bharati Sethi, Zhixi Cecilia Zhuang and Konain Edhi
The stay-at-home orders were necessary to contain the spread of COVID-19 but have worsened social isolation and loneliness among older persons. Strategies to maintain social…
Abstract
Purpose
The stay-at-home orders were necessary to contain the spread of COVID-19 but have worsened social isolation and loneliness among older persons. Strategies to maintain social connections have been proposed. It is unclear if the reported experiences of social isolation and loneliness are comparable for older immigrants and if the proposed strategies are relevant to this vulnerable population. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap.
Design/methodology/approach
This scoping review addressed two questions: What evidence exists on the experience of social isolation and loneliness in older immigrants? What strategies can be beneficial to keep older immigrants socially connected during the COVID-19 pandemic? The search for relevant articles was done in several databases covering the scientific and gray literature, using keywords that reflect the diversity of terminology referring to the main concepts (isolation and loneliness) and target population (older immigrants). Discussion papers and research studies were reviewed, and the main points or findings were documented on data abstraction forms and summarized in a table. The information in the table was compared and contrasted to identify common themes.
Findings
Only six articles (four discussion papers and two studies) met the scoping review’s eligibility criteria. Concerns about interruptions of older immigrants’ social connection during the pandemic were partially corroborated with the studies’ results. Most participants shifted the medium of their contacts from in-person to telephone or social media, and perceived no change in the experience of loneliness. Those with high levels of loneliness reported heightened anxiety and depression. The proposed strategies entailed the use of technology to connect with others and to deliver services, outdoor group activities within the constraints of containment measures and provision of culturally tailored social programs or services.
Research limitations/implications
The acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed strategies should be examined to determine the best practices aimed to promote social connection among older immigrants within and outside the context of the pandemic.
Originality/value
The scoping review identified strategies that can be used to address social isolation and loneliness among older immigrants during the pandemic.
Details
Keywords
Joel A. Sloan, Melissa S. Beauregard and M. Mark Russell
When implemented effectively and systematically across a curriculum, high impact practices (HIP) have the potential to increase student engagement and result in higher student…
Abstract
When implemented effectively and systematically across a curriculum, high impact practices (HIP) have the potential to increase student engagement and result in higher student achievement. The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a four-year military university with a large liberal education core curriculum that provides the foundation for service and officership in the United States Air or Space Forces. Building on the liberal education core, the civil engineering (CE) major’s courses begin with the cornerstone field engineering course, paired with a two-week co-curricular experience for students at an Air or Space Force installation. With its motto “construct first, design later,” the field engineering course is an HIP and quintessential experiential learning course that gives students a practical frame-of-reference for future analysis and design courses. The CE major culminates with another HIP, the capstone design course, which gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, building confidence in their ability to successfully apply those skills to the increasingly complex problems they will face after graduation. This book chapter provides a case study of the CE major at the USAFA, documenting the HIPs across the majors’ program, and highlighting the key elements and benefits of each.