Researchers from the University of Connecticut (UConn), Johns Hopkins University, and Brown University have launched a training program aimed at reducing social isolation among homebound older adults. As social isolation poses significant health risks, especially for seniors, this initiative seeks to equip meal delivery drivers with the tools to recognize and address this growing concern.
Social isolation is increasingly recognized as a major health issue, particularly affecting older individuals. Studies indicate that the lack of social interaction can elevate the risks of various health conditions, including heart disease, depression, and cognitive decline. In fact, the impact of social isolation on health is estimated to be comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Kim Gans, a professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at UConn, and Kali Thomas, a gerontologist and professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, collaborated with the Mississippi State Department of Health and colleagues from Brown University on this study, which was published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology.
Details of the Training Program
The new program consists of a video and a dedicated website that train drivers from federally funded meal delivery initiatives, such as Meals on Wheels, to identify signs of social isolation and engage more socially with their clients. With the aging U.S. population, home-delivered meal programs funded under Title III of the Older Americans Act are critical for addressing food insecurity, promoting social interaction, and supporting independence among seniors.
According to data from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, approximately 1.5 million homebound older adults received meals through these programs in 2021. Gans, who serves as a principal investigator at UConn’s Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP), noted, “We developed a simple, inexpensive intervention that has the potential to be widely disseminated to meal delivery programs across the country to help their drivers reduce social isolation among their homebound clients.”
The research team conducted focus groups with meal delivery drivers from various states, including Mississippi, Rhode Island, Georgia, Texas, and California. These discussions aimed to assess current training methods for recognizing social isolation among clients. One driver remarked, “We go to the client’s house and they’re there by themselves… You are the only folks they do see during the week.” Despite this, many drivers reported a lack of formal training on how to approach the issue of isolation.
A different participant shared their experience, stating, “This is how we were trained; we went in and said, ‘We’re interested in being drivers,’ and she said, ‘Great, let’s get your fingerprints… Come in and get your list Friday.’ I mean, that was our training.”
Positive Outcomes and Future Plans
After integrating feedback from the focus groups, the research team collaborated with meal delivery programs in Texas, Rhode Island, and Mississippi to recruit participants for testing the training intervention. The results showed that the video and website significantly enhanced drivers’ intentions to identify social isolation and engage socially with their clients.
A participant from Rhode Island reflected on the training resources, saying, “The video helps alert viewers to the isolation experienced by those who live alone. Those who watch it can become better at recognizing the signs and doing something, even something small, to help alleviate that isolation.”
Looking ahead, Gans hopes to secure additional funding to expand the reach of this intervention. “I hope that we can get future funding to widely disseminate this intervention and study its implementation and effectiveness with Meals on Wheels program drivers across the country,” she stated.
The implications of this project extend beyond nutrition. The training program could be adapted for other occupations serving homebound seniors, such as oxygen delivery personnel and home health aides.
In addition to this initiative, Gans is involved in another project alongside Caitlin Caspi, the associate director of InCHIP and Director of Food Security Initiatives at the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health. They are evaluating the effectiveness of innovative solutions implemented by Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island (MOWRI) to enhance their programming.
Together with Thomas as a consultant, Gans, Caspi, and their colleagues have published a study protocol in BMC Public Health. This randomized controlled trial will investigate the impact of adding community health worker coaching calls and healthy grocery bag deliveries to MOWRI’s home-delivered meal program, aiming to improve diet quality, address social isolation, and enhance the overall quality of life for homebound older adults.
For further details, refer to the studies:
– Jennifer N. Bunker et al., “Developing and Testing Training Resources to Improve Social Connectedness With Homebound Older Adults Who Receive Home-Delivered Meals,” Journal of Applied Gerontology (2024). DOI: 10.1177/07334648241306176
– Isabelli L. Costa da Silva et al., “A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact of adding community health worker coaching calls and healthy grocery bag deliveries to a Meals on Wheels home-delivered meal program for homebound older adults in Rhode Island,” BMC Public Health (2025). DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-24080-6
