For Loved Ones in Long-Term Care, Phoning Speaks Volumes

The Yale School of Medicine reports that a study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry suggests regular phone calls could lift the spirits and reduce loneliness of loved ones in long-term care, especially during the pandemic. The researchers polled more than 160 Americans with at least one close relationship with someone in a long-term care community. Phone calls and e-mails were associated with more positive emotions for family members, friends, and residents, while written letters were connected to more negative emotions. Many respondents said they had phone conversations with loved ones at least once a week, while a smaller group texted with similar regularity. Respondents who tried calling while communicating through a window said they did so on average of about once weekly. Yale School of Public Health Professor Joan Monin said with the pandemic still raging, phone calls could be a great way to stay in touch with those in long-term care communities. "It's an easy way for people to communicate and it doesn't have as much burden on staff to help facilitate as some of the other methods like video chat or window visits," she noted. It remains uncertain as to why video conversations did not yield an added benefit, and Monin thinks older adults are more acclimated with using the phone to talk to family members than video chat.