Anjela Szabo and Christina Champlin, Year 4 BSN
University of Victoria at Selkirk College

Fostering Feelings of Connection Through Times of Isolation
Background
Seniors have been especially
impacted by the COVID-19
pandemic. In the Castlegar area,
seniors have been affected by
the closure of day programs
and
recreation
services.
Additionally, seniors are more
prone to social isolation,
adverse effects from the virus
itself, and feelings of grief and
loss.
Methods

Results
Common themes pulled out of
the data included:
• Feelings of loneliness, fear,
grief and loss, and an overall
decrease in mental wellness.
• When seniors were asked
about what they missed the
most, many of them replied with
seeing family and friends and
engaging in recreation.

Initiatives
• Through the use of surveys,
To address seniors’ feelings of
we identified ways in which
loneliness and isolation, we
Image
retrieved
from
Unsplash
seniors health and wellness is
collaborated with IRIS to create
being impacted during COVIDAcknowledgements
safe recreation for seniors which
19.
We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we included a weekly walking group
• Through data analysis, we reside is the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa, Syilx, and and
2
bingo
events.
identified key themes and gaps Sinixt nations. We would like to thank our field guides Additionally, to address fear,
in resources and supports in the Katrina Verschoor and Kim Rawkins, Sandi McCreight from anxiety, grief, and loss, we
Castlegar community.
IRIS, and our nursing instructor Shannon Shah.
hosted coffee and conversations
•Through collaboration with
References
which
aimed
to
provide
Increasing Recreation Involving Brooke, J., & Jackson, D. (2020). Older people and COVID- information regarding COVID-19
Seniors (IRIS), we have worked 19: Isolation, risk and ageism. Journal of Clinical Nursing, and to address the mental and
to create programs for seniors 29(13–14), 2044–2046. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15274
emotional aspects of the