Effectiveness of a community-based integrated service model for older adults living alone: A nonrandomized prospective study.

OBJECTIVE

Older adults living alone face physical, emotional, and social health problems, and prefer to age in place (AIP) in their homes. A community-based integrated model for AIP is needed and few studies have identified its impact on older adults living alone.

METHODS

This was a non-randomized prospective study. Participants were 877 community-dwelling older adults living alone, aged above 65 years, in S* city in South Korea. The intervention group (n = 331) received a community-based integrated service (CBIS) model based on AIP for six months from October 2019 to April 2020.

RESULTS

Scores on frailty (β = -0.377, p < .001), loneliness (β = -1.897, p = .018), and health-related quality of life (β = 4.299, p = .021) significantly improved in the intervention group. Among the intervention group, loneliness scores significantly improved among participants aged under 80 years than those aged over 80 years.

CONCLUSION

The CBIS model improved frailty, loneliness, and quality of life in community-dwelling older adults living alone.