Evidence base
PMC
Risk Factors of Loneliness in Community-Dwelling Socially Isolated Older Adults
What it found
This study examines community-dwelling older adults who are socially isolated and identifies which of them are most at risk of also experiencing loneliness, treating isolation and loneliness as distinct but related conditions.
Why it matters for practice
For programme managers designing outreach for older adults, this distinction matters: interventions aimed at increasing contact frequency will not necessarily address loneliness. Anyone commissioning social prescribing services for this group should check whether the risk factors named here align with their own referral criteria.