Adopt a Grandparent Pilot Study: Decreasing Isolation Among Older Adults in Post Pandemic Times

Overview: Today’s older adults face a double-edged sword - the risk of loneliness combined with fewer qualified professionals to support them. This pilot study offers one solution to build a capable workforce through an Adopt a Granparent initiative between college students and community dwelling seniors through phone conversations during the pandemic.Proposal text: People are social creatures by nature. Studies have linked a person’s loneliness to mortality rates equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes per day (Holt-Lunstadt, et. al., 2015). Loneliness has also been linked to increased cognitive and mental health conditions as well as decreased performance in activities of daily living. It has also been linked to a 30% increased mortality chance, regardless of a person’s age or socioeconomic status (Hold-Lunstadt, 2018). Nationally, it is estimated that between 33 and 40% of older adults are lonely some or all of the time (Graham, 2019).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, active older adults have been hit especially hard. For many, in the span of one day, their active lifestyles were stripped from them as orders from all levels of government encouraged them to stay safe and stay home. Some began to describe identity loss, and they have struggled to define themselves and who they are within society’s new normal.

One key challenge in the battle to reduce loneliness is having competent people to work with and on behalf of older adults. While the older population has exploded, few students and young graduates choose to work with them. The field of Social Work has studied why so few students choose geriatric social work even though the need is great. A national survey from 2006 found that only 12% of licensed social workers reported older clients as their primary factor. Those who worked with older adults were older than the general workforce, with a median age of 50 (Whitaker, Weismiller, & Clark, 2006). Other studies have delved into the reasons why college students eschew this type of work. Wernet and Singleton (2010) found that students cited negative stereotypes of older adults, challenges dealing with death and dying, and limited exposure to older adults before choosing a job.

Older adults who have more social interactions and supports also have decreased mortality rates (Holt-Lunstad, 2018) and stronger health outcomes (Economic and Social Research Council, 2013). One study found that people who had stronger social connections were less likely to develop dementia or disabilities that reduced their ability to remain independent, even taking into account smoking and chronic disease (Suttie, 2014). One such positive interaction involves volunteering. When an older adult volunteers, that person reports personal benefits, such as having a greater sense of being valued (Tang, et. al., 2010). A national study of older volunteers found that those that connected with their roles had lower depression scores, less social isolation, and a higher quality of life (Georges, et. al., 2018).

The Adopt a Grandparent initiative pairs students with older adults via phone calls to reduce loneliness (older adults) and increase attitudes toward older adults (students). This paper presentation will spend time discussing this pilot study through quantitative and qualitative data gathered from undergraduate students and seniors. The program's positive impact on its participants and how the Adopt a Grandparent model and accompanying research can be shared with attendees to help with the same issues in their communities are discussed.