Social Isolation and Loneliness Among San Francisco Bay Area Older Adults During the COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place Orders.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic may have unintended, detrimental effects on social isolation and loneliness among older adults. Our objectives were to investigate 1) experiences of social isolation and loneliness during shelter-in-place orders and 2) unmet health needs related to changes in social interactions. DESIGN: Mixed-methods, longitudinal phone-based survey administered every 2 weeks. SETTING: Two community sites and an academic geriatrics outpatient clinical practice. PARTICIPANTS: 151 community-dwelling older adults. MEASUREMENTS: We measured social isolation using a 6-item modified Duke Social Support Index, social interaction sub-scale, which included assessments of video-based and internet-based socializing. Measures of loneliness included self-reported worsened loneliness due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and loneliness severity based on the 3-item UCLA loneliness scale. Participants were invited to share open-ended comments about their social experiences. RESULTS: Participants were on average 75 years old (SD = 10), 50% had hearing or vision impairment, 64% lived alone, and 26% difficulty bathing. Participants reported social isolation in 40% of interviews, 76% reported minimal video-based socializing, and 42% minimal internet-based socializing. Socially isolated participants reported difficulty finding help with functional needs, including bathing (20% vs 55%, p = .04). Over half (54%) of participants reported worsened loneliness due to COVID-19, which was associated with worsened depression (62% vs 9%, p < .001) and anxiety (57% vs 9%, p < .001). Rates of loneliness improved on average by time since shelter-in-place orders (4-6 weeks: 46% vs 13-15 weeks: 27%, p = .009), however, loneliness persisted or worsened for a subgroup of participants. Open-ended responses revealed challenges faced by the subgroup experiencing persistent loneliness, including poor emotional coping and discomfort with new technologies. CONCLUSIONS: Many older adults are adjusting to COVID-19 restrictions since the start of shelter-in-place orders. Additional steps are critically needed to address the psychological suffering and unmet medical needs of those with persistent loneliness or barriers to technology-based social interaction.