The world’s population is aging rapidly, the percentage of older adults1 was 10% in 20002 and will increase to 24% in 2030. This phenomenon has several impacts on the economic and social dimensions of developed countries. One aspect of this growth is the shortage in the number of professional caregivers in forthcoming years. Also, it is very likely that involved countries will encounter financial hardships due to the unbalanced number of caregivers that are unable to respond to the increasing cost of providing proper care for older adults of society (Bemelmans, Gelderblom, Jonker, & De Witte, 2012). Feeling lonely has some negative impacts on older adults including, but not limited to, cognitive functions (Cacioppo & Hawkley, 2009; Shankar, McMunn, Banks, & Steptoe, 2011), bad sleeping patterns, deteriorating physical condition and low energy level during the day (Hawkley, Preacher, & Cacioppo, 2010), high or low blood pressure (Hawkley, Thisted, Masi, & Cacioppo, 2010) and mental health issues (Wilson et al., 2007). Older adults can experience loneliness due to the loss of partners and friends, and therefore may become socially isolated and frustrated because of limited social connections.
Description
Submitted in the fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Business (Research), University of Sunshine Coast, 2018.