New tool measures social connection in nursing homes with resident and staff input
Researchers have developed and validated the SONNET scale, a 12-item assessment tool that measures social connection among long-term care residents. The instrument—which can be completed by residents or staff—addresses a critical gap in how care facilities track isolation and loneliness, metrics increasingly tied to health outcomes, resident satisfaction, and regulatory compliance.
Originaltitel: Development and Testing of the Social Connection in Long-Term Care Home Residents (SONNET) Scale
We aimed to develop and test the psychometric properties of a new instrument to assess long-term care (LTC) home residents' social connection. We developed a conceptual model and then used literature review and qualitative interviews to identify candidate items for the Social Connection in Long-Term Care Residents (SONNET) scale, which we refined following pilot and field testing and with patient and public involvement. We evaluated the final instrument's feasibility, acceptability, reliability, and validity in 52 LTC resident-staff dyads in the UK and Canada. The 12-item SONNET scale comprises subdomains assessing social engagement and social connectedness, with versions to be rated by a resident or proxy (staff) informant. The SONNET scale is feasible and acceptable, and preliminary testing indicates its reliability and validity. It is available for use to examine social connection in LTC residents. Further testing in diverse samples and confirmation of psychometric properties is needed.