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Journals / Journal of Aging and Long-Term Care / 2025 / Volume: 8 Issue: 3

COVID-19’s Non-visitor Policy and Its Impact on Social Isolation of Older Adults in Ontario Long-Term Care Homes: A Scoping Review

Angelina Falconi(The University of Toronto)0009-0001-6556-2720
Christina Saliba(The University of Toronto)0009-0000-3724-3282
Raza Mirza(Institute for Life Course and Aging, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, The University of Toronto)0000-0003-4430-6012
Christopher Klinger(Institute for Life Course and Aging, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto)0009-0008-9296-2210
Pages
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Publication Date
2025-12-31
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

While written from a Canadian perspective, implications reach globally.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide implemented strict non-visitor policies in long-term care (LTC) homes.
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Key Findings & Data:As a result, older adults were often confined to their rooms and only “essential visitors” were allowed.
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Conclusion & Impact:While written from a Canadian perspective, implications reach globally.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Canada · COVID-19 · Information and Communication Technology

Abstract

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide implemented strict non-visitor policies in long-term care (LTC) homes. As a result, older adults were often confined to their rooms and only “essential visitors” were allowed. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, the goal was to examine the impact visitor restrictions had on social isolation of older adults in LTC homes in Ontario (Canada) as well as to make recommendations for further research, policy, and practice. Twenty-five articles that met inclusion criteria were reviewed. Themes identified included the impact visitor restrictions had on older adults residing in LTC as well as their ethical and legal implications. Pandemic policies should be assessed at the individual level with family members essential to resident’s care. Information and communication technology (ICT) was seen as crucial to support social connectedness in later life. While written from a Canadian perspective, implications reach globally.

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Cite This Article

Falconi, A., Saliba, C., Mirza, R., Klinger, C. (2025). COVID-19’s Non-visitor Policy and Its Impact on Social Isolation of Older Adults in Ontario Long-Term Care Homes: A Scoping Review. Journal of Aging and Long-Term Care, Volume: 8 Issue: 3. https://doi.org/10.51819/jaltc.2025.1826908

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