The Role of Technology Use in the Context of Social Isolation Among Immigrant Older Adults.

Abstract

Technology has been integrated into every aspect of life for interpersonal support and connections and social isolation has become a hotspot topic for health promotion in nursing among various populations, but little attention has been paid to immigrant older adults using technology to overcome social isolation. The purpose of this narrative review is to comprehend the role of technology use in the context of social isolation, including the predisposing factors, encountered by immigrant older adults to support their psychosocial wellbeing. By studying relevant peer-reviewed articles published in professional databases from 2013 to 2024, 26 articles met the criteria and were accessed for this narrative review, despite an unexpected participant selection preference of older Asian immigrants living in a North American context among these eligible papers. It is discovered that technology use has improved the mental health of socially-isolated immigrant older adults. However, the benefits of technology use for these individuals are constrained by cultural and linguistic differences as well as educational backgrounds. Therefore, technology adaptation should be promoted in this population through a collaborative partnership with healthcare practitioners, educators, researchers and policymakers. There should be further exploration of the interrelationships between technology use and psychosocial support and continuous striving for the most suitable approach for social isolation prevention among immigrant older adults.