NURSING DIAGNOSIS: Risk for loneliness

related to inability to participate in usual activities, limited contact with significant others, and decreased exposure to events in the outside world associated with prolonged immobility.

Desired Outcome
The client will not experience a sense of isolation and loneliness as evidenced by:
  1. maintenance of relationships with significant others
  2. no expression of feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Nursing Actions and Selected Purposes/Rationales
  1. Assess for indications of isolation and loneliness (e.g. absence of supportive significant others; uncommunicative and withdrawn; expression of feelings of rejection or being lonely; sad, dull affect).
  2. Implement measures to decrease isolation and reduce the risk for loneliness:
    1. assist client to identify reasons for feeling isolated and alone; aid him/her in developing a plan of action to reduce these feelings
    2. encourage significant others to visit
    3. encourage client to maintain telephone contact with others
    4. schedule time each day to sit and talk with client
    5. make objects such as clock, TV, radio, newspapers, and greeting cards accessible to client
    6. have significant others bring client's favorite objects from home and place in room
    7. move client periodically to a more stimulating environment (e.g. hall, lounge, garden) when condition allows
    8. change room assignments as feasible to provide client with roommate with similar interests.