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Abstract

The study explored the implications of past life experiences on social participation among older adults residing in assisted living facilities. The study employed an explorative qualitative design for data collection. The data consisted of semi-structured interviews with 20 adults aged 65 or older. The semi-structured interviews consisted of a list of 15 questions that guided the interviews, asking participants to describe their lived experience with social participation. Four themes identified the significant life experiences affecting older adults’ social participation. Four themes emerged: (1) Past profession experiences influencing social participation, (2) Active lifestyles influencing social participation, (3) Unintentional afflictions influencing social participation, and (4) Caregiver experiences influencing social participation. The study identifies specific life experiences that can be used by healthcare practitioners to facilitate social participation among older adults in assisted living facilities. Relying on life experiences allows for more client-centered, motivating, and individualized treatment.

Keywords

assisted living facility social behavior quality of life exploratory behavior aging

Introduction

Older adults are consistently defined as being 60 to 65 years of age or older throughout the nation. The United Nations (2023) defines older adults as those aged 65 years or older, and staggering statistics show that the number of older adults has increased substantially over time. With this substantial increase of the older adult population, it is approximated that 57 million older adults currently live in the United States (National Council on Aging, 2024). Of those older adults, nearly 1 million reside in assisted living facilities with varying ages, backgrounds, diagnoses, and needs (Jenq et al., 2020). Assisted living facilities are non-medical facilities that can provide residents with 24-hr assistance in personal care and other opportunities for dining, transportation, and recreational and social activities (American Geriatrics Society, 2020).

An essential benefit of residing in an assisted living is having access to various social participation activities. Social participation is essential for older adults’ overall health and well-being (Löfgren et al., 2024). According to Schell and Gillen (2019), social participation is the interweaving of activities to support engagement with families, peers, friends, and the community. The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework identifies five key types of social participation (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2020). Community participation consists of engaging in activities that occur at a community level, such as a neighborhood, workplace, school, or religious institution (AOTA, 2020). Family participation consists of engaging in activities specific to a required family role (Mosey, 1996), as cited in AOTA (2020). Friendships are a type of social participation in which two or more individuals share a common interest and provide support to each other in times of need (Hall, 2017, as cited in AOTA, 2020). Intimate partner relationships are the activities one engages in to maintain close relationships, such as giving and receiving affection (AOTA, 2020). Lastly, peer group participation involves engaging in activities with others who share similar interests, ages, backgrounds, or social statuses (AOTA, 2020).

Despite the various types of social participation available in assisted living facilities, older adults residing in the facilities are facing a greater risk of social isolation living in a post-pandemic world and increased health barriers associated with aging. Due to social isolation, older adults experience limited connections to family, friends, and their community (Simard & Volicer, 2020). In addition to social isolation, older adults must adapt to living in an assisted living facility. Adapting to a new environment and feeling the implications of isolation can be daunting for an older adult and lead to decreased satisfaction (Löfgren et al., 2024).

The literature consistently illustrates the importance of social participation in older adults’ lives (Löfgren et al., 2024; Rural Health Information Hub, 2020; Waldman-Levi et al., 2015). Older adults experiencing social isolation have a 50% risk of developing dementia, a 29% risk of mortality, and experience more comorbidities (Drageset et al., 2011; Simard & Volicer, 2020). Social isolation is becoming a growing health concern for older adults. Furthermore, women are at greater risk of experiencing social isolation (Umnerson et al., 2022). Older adults who experience loneliness and social isolation are more likely to experience various physical and mental health dysfunctions, including falls, depression, hospitalization, poor nutrition, a decline in cognition, high blood pressure, infection, disease, and mortality (Clair et al., 2021; Simard & Volicer, 2020).

Maintaining social participation throughout the lifespan is essential for optimal well-being and health (Sigelman & Rider, 2015). The continuation of social participation improves the outcomes of older adults and decreases the risk of adverse health issues (Sigelman & Rider, 2015). Older adults who need to participate in everyday social activities and choose to participate in activities have greater life satisfaction (Stav et al., 2012). Furthermore, Stav et al. (2012) found that psychosocial determinants are more influential in older adults’ everyday life rather than disease or disability. Through social activities and support, older adults can increase their ability to cope with their circumstances due to aging and promote resiliency (Löfgren et al., 2024).

While social participation is important for an older adults’ health and wellbeing, the amount of social participation needed for healthy aging varies based off of one’s life experiences. The life experiences of older adults contribute to engagement in activities, especially in the area of social participation. Life experiences are the life events individuals acquire from previous roles, routines, hobbies, education, and work. Life experiences and social participation are intertwined and support engagement (Rural Health Information Hub, 2020; Waldman-Levi et al., 2015). Therefore, health practitioners must utilize the life experiences of older adults to facilitate social participation in assisted living facilities and allow older adults to be more successful in their daily activities and overall quality of life.

Research Gap

There is abundant research discussing the importance of facilitating social participation and inhibiting social isolation. However, limited research exists that discusses factors promoting social isolation for older adults residing in assisted living facilities in a post-pandemic world where social participation has become increasingly more difficult. Furthermore, the existing research is significantly outdated. The limited and outdated research on older adults residing in assisted living facilities could be due to a societal assumption that individuals in the settings experience less social isolation due to their environment and proximity to other older adults (Boamah et al., 2021; Fidanza et al., 2020). More information is needed about specific factors that can promote social participation to enhance health and well-being for older adults in assisted living facilities.

Supporting Framework

The study’s conceptual framework was designed using principles from the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, 4th Ed. (OTPF; AOTA, 2020). The OTPF describes key concepts specific to the role and domain of occupational therapy practitioners. Within the framework, social participation is a key construct supporting an individual’s health and well-being. According to the OTPF, social participation is relevant throughout all aspects of an individual’s life, including activities of daily living (e.g., dressing and bathing), instrumental activities of daily living (e.g., cooking and cleaning), work, sleep, leisure, etc. (AOTA, 2020).

In addition to social participation impacting individual lives, the OTPF describes the relevance of social participation at a community level, such as an assisted living facility. Social participation is essential for sustaining communities (AOTA, 2020). Within communities, social participation allows members to feel empowered and informed. In addition, it fosters connectedness, solidarity, and a sense of belonging among community groups (Cardoso da Silva & Correa Oliver, 2019). The ability of communities to actively engage in social participation results in improved mental health and well-being (Cardoso da Silva & Correa Oliver, 2019).

Due to the significant contribution the OTPF provides to social participation, it was used to guide the study design and methodology. Therefore, researchers also used language from the framework for continuity. The following section outlines key terminology with the associated definition used in the OTPF to support the study.

Activities: Actions designed and selected to support the development of performance skills and patterns (AOTA, 2020).

Occupations: Everyday activities individuals do to occupy time and promote purpose in life (e.g., dressing, cooking, grocery shopping, leisure, work, sleep, etc.; AOTA, 2020).

Client: The term client consists of people (the one involved in the care or receiving the care of a client), groups (the collection of individuals with shared characteristics), and populations (people with common attributes; Scaffa & Reitz, 2014).

Client-Centered Care: A service approach that focuses on incorporating respect for and partnerships with clients (Schell & Gillen, 2019, p. 1194).

Study Aim

The central aim of the study is to identify the life experiences of older adults residing in an assisted living facility that affect current social participation. The study explored the following research question: How do older adults’ life experiences contribute to their social participation within an assisted living facility? Knowledge gained from the study will help professionals working in assisted living facilities understand the implications of an individual’s life experiences and how the experiences contribute to an individual’s social participation while residing in an assisted living facility.

Methods

Research Design

The qualitative study employed an explorative approach using semi-structured interviews. Explorative qualitative studies allow researchers to understand individuals’ lived experiences and perceptions of the implications one’s life experiences have on social participation. The study included a university professor and two graduate students with knowledge and experience working with older adults and healthy aging. Ethical approval was obtained from the University’s institutional review board and the assisted living facility. The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Participants

The research took place in the Midsouth region of the United States, where a large population of older adults reside in assisted living facilities. The study recruited older adults aged 65 years or older due to the demographics of the available assisted living facility. Once the research team was granted permission by the facility to conduct the study, the team recruited participants by going door to door in the assisted living facility in numerological order. During the initial contact, potential participants were explained the purpose of the study, what to expect, and the ability to withdraw at any time.

Once a participant verbalized interest and agreed to participate, a research member administered a series of questions to determine inclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria included: (a) between the ages of 65 and 95 years old, (b) currently residing in an assisted living facility, (c) has no diagnosis of dementia, and (d) consents to participate in the study. Twenty participants met the inclusion criteria. Eighteen were female (90%), and two were male (10%). At the time of the interviews, participants were retired or never employed. All participants identified as Caucasian.

Data Collection

Data collection consisted of qualitative interviews using an interview guide. A list of 15 interview questions was developed using principles from the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, 4th Ed. (AOTA, 2020). The questions focused on various aspects of the individual’s social and leisure participation, including activity autonomy, social context involved with the activities, perceived relationship and meaning of activities to the client, and contextual factors impacting the activity. A second expert with experience in qualitative research and geriatrics reviewed the interview questions and provided feedback to ensure the appropriate use of language and that the questions measured their intended purpose. Next, the primary author conducted a pilot interview to ensure the credibility and dependability of the script. Following the pilot interview, questions were revised to better capture the study’s aim, and the same content expert reviewed the questions to ensure appropriateness. Some of the finalized questions included: (1) How often do you take part in social activities now while living at the assisted living facility? (2) Explain some of the challenges of taking part in social activities here at the assisted living facility. (3) Explain whether or not you think it is important to spend time with other people who live here.

After the questions were finalized, a member of the research team began conducting interviews. Each interview took place in the participant’s room to minimize distractions and lasted approximately 45 to 90 min. All the participants completed the interview questions. Depending on the participant’s responses, probes were used to explore the narrative and gain a detailed description.

Data Analysis

The data were analyzed using qualitative relational content analysis to identify keywords, themes, or concepts that support social participation for older adults. Using content analysis allowed the research team to explore the meanings and relationships of leisure activities on social participation in later life (Krippendorff, 2019; Neuendorf, 2017).

The first phase of data analysis consisted of the research team familiarizing themselves with the transcripts. The first author transcribed each interview verbatim. Following each transcription, the transcripts were reviewed by each member for further reflection through analytic memos. Memo notes facilitated reflexivity, including identifying researcher biases and judgments, developing conceptual thoughts, and reflecting on participants’ responses to deepen the analysis process (Miles et al., 2014). Next, the transcripts were coded for concept codes. Concept coding allowed the research team to assign meaning to participants’ perceptions of life experiences and social participation (Miles et al., 2014). Through the coding, the research team was able to explore statements in relation to the study purpose, the literature, and the context of the narrative. Once coding was complete, the research team collated the codes into themes. The themes were defined and named in relation to the purpose of the study. The research team and content expert met after each analysis phase to discuss data results.

Methodological Integrity

The process of trustworthiness ensures the accuracy and believability of data (Graneheim & Lundman, 2004; Lindgren et al., 2020). The research team utilized robust strategies to achieve trustworthiness. First, the researchers reviewed the transcripts multiple times to ensure the study findings were grounded in the data. Second, following each interview, research members debriefed to ensure that data collection was valid and accurate. Third, the researchers completed member checking by sharing pieces of the transcripts with participants to verify the accuracy of the data. Researchers established a vigorous audit trail to enhance the credibility of the study.

Results

Throughout data analysis, the research team identified two main categories: barriers to social participation and facilitators to social participation. Each category consisted of themes explaining the barriers or facilitators to social involvement. Four themes emerged (see Table 1): (1) Past professional experiences influencing social participation, (2) Active lifestyles influencing social participation, (3) Unintentional afflictions influencing social participation, and (4) Caregiver experiences influencing social participation. All participants highlighted each theme and how they supported or inhibited past experiences.

Table 1.

Themes That Support or Inhibit Social Participation.

Theme	Definition
Past professional experiences influencing social participation	Labor or exertion related to the development, production, delivery, or management of objects or services; benefits may be financial or nonfinancial (e.g., social connectedness, contributions to society, adding structure and routine to daily life; Christiansen & Townsend, 2010).
Active lifestyles influencing social participation	An active lifestyle is the process of creating an everyday routine to implement physical activity and movement (Calmeiro & Gasper de Matos, 2016).
Unintentional afflictions influencing social participation	Unintentional afflictions were defined as injuries that result from an “acute exposure to exhort of energy or a consequence of a deficiency in a vital element that exceeds physiological thresholds resulting threatens life” (Bonilla-Escobar & Gutierrez, 2014).
Caregiver experiences influencing social participation	Care of others includes “arranging, supervising, or providing care for others” (AOTA, 2020).

Note. The table identifies and defines key terms that support or inhibit social participation for older adults residing in an assisted living facility.

Past Profession Experiences Influencing Social Participation

Participants’ past professions were defined as the life experiences from “labor or exertion related to the development, production, delivery, or management of objects or services; benefits may be financial or nonfinancial (e.g., social connectedness, contributions to society, adding structure, and routine to daily life)” (Christiansen & Townsend, 2010). One’s career creates a trail for life experiences and influences what one enjoys or prefers to do. According to Baruch (2004), “career is a major life constituency—it evolves around work, and work provides a sense of purpose, challenge, self-fulfillment, and, of course, income.” Work is a source of identity, creativity, status, and access to social networks. Many participants identified the types of social activities they participated in, who they participated with, and their level of enjoyment based on what profession they did previously in their lifetime. Two participants emphasized:

I have always been with people. I worked in a factory, and I was with everybody. I had to quit because we opened our own business, and I did everything in it. I took people home, [I] went and got them. I was just always around people. I like to do things with other people.

I traveled a lot when I was working. So I am interested in seeing things about foreign countries, learn about different things. I took a class in knitting. Only two of us participated, but it helped me.

One participant discussed how she enjoyed a career as a commercial artist and now likes to facilitate art activities with other residents.

I do not want anybody to think that I that I do not like to do what they are doing, but I do not like to do what they are doing … I like the activities I choose better. My teaching salary went to my boys, so I did commercial art to supplement … I have done art with other participants here [the assisted living facility] and did an art class.

Past professions were also a motivating factor in socially engaging in outdoor activities.

We had a farm. When it gets more summary, we [the participant and a friend] like to go outside and walk around and watch the garden.

Many participants shared how their past professions motivated them to want to engage in social activities. However, some participants had the opposite response. Another individual’s profession impacted how the participant engaged in activities because they had to get up early their whole life. The participant stated:

They all [other residents] get up early, and I have done that all my life. I do not want to do that anymore. I have done that by going to school and working when I was married. I have done that all my life, so I told them, no, do not wake me in the morning; it is my time to rest and sleep in.

One participant shared how his former profession required him to work alone, and he continued to like isolation in later life. Therefore, he rarely engaged in social participation.

Old habits are hard to break. I spent most of my lifetime by myself. I worked for myself. I can go out there and sit all day, but I do not see the need. I like sitting in here by myself.

All participants relied on experiences from their past professions to determine their preference for participating in or not participating in social activities at the assisted living facility.

Active Lifestyle Influencing Social Participation

An active lifestyle is the process of creating an everyday routine to implement physical activity and movement (Calmeiro & Gasper de Matos, 2016). There are many benefits to participating in an active lifestyle. A study by Peralta-Catipon and Hwang (2011) examined community-dwelling older adults and the personal factors predicting their health-related lifestyle. Evaluating the health-related lifestyle requires a holistic approach due to the complexity of the topic. Older adults’ life experiences are complex, and participating in an active lifestyle contributes to their participation in social activities. Two participants connected their enjoyment of social participation to their experiences with playing sports in high school. Their life experience contributed to their participation in more sports-related activities (such as bean-bag baseball and basketball) with other residents.

I like basketball. That was my main thing in high school. I was a guard on a basketball team. That is why I like bean bag baseball. It is similar, but I just love basketball.

I have always liked exercise. I have always been a physical person. When I was in school, I played softball and always loved water sports. I like physical activity, so I enjoy the sittercise classes.

Two other participants stated they were always active even before residing at the assisted living facility. Their active lifestyles facilitated their social participation.

After we retired, we started going to a cabin on Black River. We would go to a lot if we wanted to fish … Before I came here, we were active. Now I cannot drive, so I like to do sittercise here. I have always been on the go

I have always been active. Today I took sittercise, walked, played beanbag baseball, and I am going to play bingo later.

Unintentional Afflictions Influencing Social Participation

Life experiences from unintentional afflictions were defined as injuries that result from an “acute exposure to exhort of energy or a consequence of a deficiency in a vital element that exceeds physiological thresholds resulting threatens life” (Bonilla-Escobar & Gutierrez, 2014). Throughout the interviews, almost all participants identified at least one experience that caused physical harm to them, resulting in permanent disability. According to Waldman-Levi et al. (2015), cognitive, emotional, and physical functioning affect older adults’ health and well-being. Many participants said they could not participate in activities due to their experiences with unintentional afflictions, affecting their social participation. One participant shared how the development of arthritis from repetitive activities throughout their professional career secondarily affected participation in meaningful physical activities.

Every day, there is something [social activities], but I did try sittercise. I have so much arthritis in my shoulder I could not get my arm up there without hurting, so I had to quit sittercise.

Other participants described how an unintentional affliction impinged function during everyday life, limiting social participation.

I took about four steps and stepped on some part of a coat so I could not do anything but fall straight down onto the floor, head first. My glasses cut [my] left eye cut it wide open … It hurts you [if] you cannot see … I like the crafts they offer here [at the assisted living home], but I cannot do them anymore since I cannot see.

I pinched a nerve in my back. I still do not have good balance and cannot walk like I should. It tires me out easily, so I miss out on a lot of activities

I broke my shoulder and I still have a problem raising my arm above my head, so that limits me being able to do things … I am social, and I do not get to do those things.

A decrease in social participation is congruent with additional adverse afflictions and health-related diseases that decrease overall activity engagement (Smallfield & Molitor, 2018). One participant described the implications of a back injury and stroke resulting in limited social participation.

I have had back trouble for several years from an injury resulting in exploding discs. Then I had a stroke in 2006 … I never recovered from the back injury … My back starts to bother me when I do Wii bowling or beanbag baseball. I have to stop.

Unintentional afflictions have been shown to increase the risk of chronic disease and mental health deficits and isolate the resident’s environment (Zhang et al., 2017). When an older adult experiences an unintentional affliction, it changes their priorities. Older adults get tired, experience lower self-esteem, and do not like going out in public places, which impacts one’s social participation.

Caregiving Influencing Social Participation

Multiple participants engaged in caregiving for most of their lifetime. Care of others includes “arranging, supervising, or providing care for others” (AOTA, 2020). Participants were current caregivers at the facility and expressed that it posed a barrier to them wanting and being able to participate in social activities. Two participants expressed:

I have never been able to participate in things here. I have never done things like that [participate in social activities]t. If you are caring for someone, you do not go out and play bean bag baseball.

I have always been a caregiver. They said I would go crazy if I did not do something besides care for my husband 24 hours a day. I need to get some time to myself, but I cannot. I taking on more and more. I may be overdoing it with my caregiving.

Being a caregiver was a barrier to their social participation before residing in the assisted living facility. One participant lived at home and never participated in social activities. Therefore, she was not interested in social activities at the assisted living facility even though she was no longer a caregiver.

When [husband] got sick, I never did anything. I did not get to go[to social activities] for a long time. Since [husband] passed away, I have no interest in doing anything.

Another participant connected their social participation within the assisted living facility to moving back to be close to her children. Participants who were caregivers were not interested in socializing with peers. They preferred to stay close to their families.

When my spouse passed away, I moved back here to be close to my children … You lose contact with other people [when you’re a caregiver], so I do not do much with other people.

For many participants, the life experience of being a caregiver facilitated social participation with family but limited social participation with peers in the assisted living facility. Acting as a caregiver hinders social participation even before residing in an assisted living facility.

The role of the caregiver is a barrier to social participation due to many factors, including the caregiver’s mental health, limited financial and social support, and education level. Society normalizes the role of care partners by seeing it as an obligation. However, serving as a caregiver increases stress, lowering health and well-being (Ottis-Green, 2012).

Discussion

There is limited current research on how life experiences affect older adults’ participation in daily activities. Therefore, the study was conducted to determine what life experiences affect older adults’ social participation within an assisted living facility. The themes identified from the study show that an individual’s life experiences influence social participation, and the experiences act as facilitators or barriers to social participation.

The study themes show participants are more likely to engage in activities when the activity relates to their past professions and when participants have a history of an active lifestyle. One approach healthcare practitioners can use to identify clients’ professional experiences and lifestyle activities is client-centered practices. By building a collaborative partnership, client-centered care focuses on understanding each client’s unique needs and preferences (Sanerma et al., 2020). The collaborative partnership includes the client’s care needs and fostering client autonomy and while including the client’s knowledge and experience, strengths, and capacity for choice throughout the partnership (McCance et al., 2011; McCormack et al., 2017; Schell & Gillen, 2019). Healthcare practitioners within assisted living facilities can achieve a client-centered approach by fostering a comfortable care setting with open communication to learn about clients’ lives and listen to their concerns. Client-centered care goes beyond the physical needs of the client. It focuses on the client holistically to include the mental, emotional, and psychosocial needs. Understanding the client’s history, including past professions and lifestyle activities, is part of building a holistic relationship (Kuluski et al., 2019).

Healthcare practitioners working with older adults in assisted living facilities need to better understand the client’s history, specifically medical history, including current and past, which is necessary for social participation. A client’s medical history is relevant since the study identified unintentional afflictions as a common barrier to social involvement. The client’s medical history can be understood through client-centered care (Kuluski et al., 2019). However, once a client’s medical history is understood, it is important for a healthcare practitioner to know how to use activities to facilitate social participation while overcoming the barriers of unintentional affliction.

One approach to overcoming barriers associated with unintentional afflictions is modifying the activities. When modifying activities, one will identify the challenges the client experiences while engaging in the activity and then make accommodations to the activity as needed to support participation (Dunn et al., 1998, as cited in AOTA, 2020). Examples of ways to modify an activity include having larger fonts on bingo cards to accommodate those with decreased vision or using larger puzzle pieces to accommodate those with decreased hand grip. When using activity adaptation, the client may benefit from grading the activity up or down (Hersch et al., 2005). Grading an activity involves increasing or decreasing the difficulty of the task at hand. For example, one participant explained how shoulder arthritis made it difficult to participate in physical exercises while sitting. The client may be able to continue to participate in the seated exercises if they were adapted and explicitly graded to the client’s range of motion in the shoulder. Examples of grading activities include completing an activity in sitting instead of standing to accommodate lower extremity weakness or completing activities in smaller groups to accommodate individuals who are hard of hearing.

The last theme, serving as a caregiver, acted as a barrier to social participation. Being a caregiver often leads to physical and mental burdens, limited financial resources, and decreased participation in activities (Broxson & Feliciano, 2020). All these factors lead to caregiver burden, reduced health and well-being, and decreased social participation. However, occupational balance has been found to help caregivers overcome the burden experienced. Occupational balance is the integration of life activities and demands to facilitate happiness (Gunal et al., 2022; Parker et al., 2021; Roschel et al., 2022). Older caregivers often struggle with occupational balance due to the physical and emotional demands that caregiving imposes.

Healthcare practitioners working in assisted living facilities must understand the importance of occupational balance for caregivers to promote social participation among older adult residents. An important step in fostering occupational balance for caregivers is identifying meaningful activities. Meaningful activities are the “purposeful activities a person does, wants to, or has to do, such as self-care, leisure activities, household chores, and work” (Gunal et al., 2022). Assisted living facilities provide opportunities for older adults to engage with each other in various activities. Understanding what one wants to do, needs to do, or is expected to do will allow assisted living facilities to offer social participation opportunities that are relevant and meaningful to the clients. Through older adults’ life experiences, healthcare practitioners in assisted living facilities can make leaps in increasing their social participation by motivating and encouraging them to participate in meaningful activities. Furthermore, utilizing meaningful activities promotes overall engagement in activities, enhancing well-being (Regier et al., 2022).

Implications of Decreased Social Participation

The implications of decreased social participation in older adults have been continuously shown to impact their mental and physical health, well-being, and quality of life (Clair et al., 2021; Dehi Aroogh & Mohammadi Shahboulaghi, 2020). It is well-known that as health decreases, participation in activities decreases, which fosters adverse effects (Waldman-Levi et al., 2015). Well-being, satisfaction, and cognitive functioning are significantly affected by variables such as isolation (Clair et al., 2021; Dehi Aroogh & Mohammadi Shahboulaghi, 2020; Nastasi, 2020). According to Chen and Fu (2008), maintaining participation in social activities significantly enriches older adults’ life satisfaction, psychological well-being, happiness, and physical function and decreases mortality. Older adults need engagement in personalized activities such as social participation, especially those in assisted living (Stav et al., 2012). Many older adults living in assisted living facilities are socially isolated due to lifestyle choices, disability, or other contributing factors. Utilizing life experiences to facilitate engagement in social participation will provide the optimal opportunity for older adults’ health and quality of life.

Information from the study can enhance social participation outcomes by better understanding the factors that facilitate and inhibit the social participation of older adults. Studies show individualized activities tailored to older adults’ life experiences will help decrease social isolation and increase social interaction (Kemp et al., 2011). Therefore, health professionals in assisted living facilities should integrate social activities for older adults that accommodate and relate to one’s life experiences.

Study Limitations

The study was limited primarily to a small demographic of participants, and the results cannot be transferred to older adults at all assisted living facilities. However, the participants provided rich material that can advance future practices. Furthering the research through additional data collection will allow for more complex information to be gathered. More specific information and a broader demographic base will allow the results to be transferable and significantly impact healthcare practices. Future research can examine strategies to implement older adults’ life experiences to support social participation.

Conclusions

Four themes emerged from the study, identifying the significant life experiences that affect older adults’ social participation in an assisted living facility. The lack of evidence between life experiences and social participation limits healthcare practitioners’ ability to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship. Therefore, the study is essential to understand how older adults’ life experiences facilitate or inhibit social participation in an assisted living facility. The study supports the need to cultivate a culture that addresses all contexts of a person’s life when residing in an assisted living facility. Utilizing older adults’ past life experiences to facilitate their engagement in social participation can lead to positive outcomes. The study found that life experiences affect social participation, and awareness of these experiences allows for more specific and client-centered treatment in healthcare.

Future directions of the study include expanding on the amount of assisted living facilities and participants with varying demographics to provide more generalizable data and outcomes. In addition, putting the study’s findings into practice can provide additional evidence of how utilizing life experiences can facilitate social participation. Educating and providing access to this information for healthcare practitioners could increase knowledge and expand client-centered, effective treatment to promote social participation. Future studies will focus on continuing to identify specific aspects that elevate social participation in older adults to promote better health outcomes and improved quality of life.

Footnotes

ORCID iD

Amanda Mohler

Ethical Considerations

Ethical approval was obtained from Arkansas State University’s institutional review board and the assisted living facility (approval number: FY17-18-251).

Consent to Participate

All participants included in the study signed written consent for publication.

Author Contributions

The authors confirm sole responsibility for the study conception, design, data collection, analysis, interpretation of results, and manuscript preparation.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Data Availability Statement

The data supporting the study’s findings are available on request from the corresponding authors. The data are not publicly available due to restrictions that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

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