Spirituality For Social Isolation in a Patient with Cognitive Impairment
What is it about?
A case report of a 68-year-old female with a historical diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment presented with social isolation exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. She participated in a telephone-based psychosocial intervention program called Connection’s Plans for 8 weeks. Motivational interviewing techniques were used to encourage the patient to pick goals to improve the mind, body, and connections. In her connections goal, the patient expressed a desire to make a spiritual reconnection. Connecting back to the patient’s spirituality was one of the key interventions in this patient. Social isolation, resilience, self-efficacy, and cognition were assessed using standardized rating scales before and after the completion of the intervention. The interventions included multiple touchpoints with the Veteran. Some goals for rural may have been to learn to use video technology for telehealth or get out and walk regulary even if at their local Wal-Mart.
Why is it important?
Spiritual reconnection and improved physical and emotional engagement may serve as protective factors against social isolation exacerbated by the pandemic (or equally trauma-evoking events) in older adults. This is a timely article due to many sociopolitical changes during the last four years since the COVID-19 pandemic.