Abstract
Aim: The aim of our study is to validate the Friendship Scale (FS) for the Turkish population and to evaluate the differences between the social isolation parameters, health-related quality of life, and functional mobility in the elderly people living at home and at the nursing home.
Methods: One hundred sixteen elderly people, 65 years and older, living at home and the nursing home were recruited in the study. Nottingham Health Profile was used to assess the health-related quality of life, Rivermead Mobility Index for mobility level, and FS for social isolation of the elderly in both groups.
Results: Mean age of the participants in the study was 76.10 +/- 8.22 years (63-97 years). Seventy-one of 116 cases (63.5%) were women and 45 (36.5%) were men. No differences were observed between the groups in terms of age and demographic and clinical characteristics (P < .05). Intraclass correlation coefficient score for test-retest reliability was 0.981 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.957-0.991) for the FS. The results showed concurrent validity of the Turkish version of FS and were significantly different between the groups (P = .006). There was no difference between the groups in terms of Rivermead Mobility Index (P = .246). Although there was no difference between the groups in terms of Nottingham Health Profile total score (P = .290), there was a significant difference in social isolation subscale (P = .028).
Conclusions: It is thought that the inclusion of mobility, social participation, and integration in the rehabilitation programs of the elderly would be useful to maintain their functional independence, social participation, and psychosocial well-being and in increasing health-related quality of life. Regardless of where and in which circumstances they live, all of them have to be supported in their mobility, participation, and social well-being as early as they can.