Older home nursing patients' perception of social provisions and received care

Social loneliness and isolation may be some of the consequences that older people experience regarding age-related changes and losses, and nurses should be engaged in identifying social networks and social needs in this group. The aims of this study were to describe perceived social provisions in a group of older home-dwelling care-dependent patients, and to explore the relationship between perceived social provisions, physical functioning, mental state and reception of formal and informal care. The sample consisted of 242 persons aged 75+ years from seven municipalities in southern Norway, all receiving home nursing. Data were collected by means of structured interviews. Social support was assessed using the revised Social Provisions Scale. Physical functioning was assessed using the Barthel Index, and mental state using questions about loneliness, depressive symptoms and anxiety. Types and frequencies of social network contacts and formal and informal care were registered. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U-tests, Cronbach's alpha coefficient and stepwise multiple regression were used in the analyses. In general, the level of perceived social provisions and togetherness in the study group was high, especially among women and the married. Decreased physical functioning and declined mental state were related to lower level of social provisions. The majority of the individuals had frequently contacts with several types of social networks, like friends, neighbours and religious communities, in addition to close family. Contact with these informal networks was found to be close related to perceived social support and togetherness. Reduced social provisions was related to increased amount of home nursing, which could indicate that demand for home care may work as a strategy to gain social contact. In this sense, dependence in daily life functioning could possibly contribute to social contact rather than reduce it.