Older adults who are socially isolated or who feel lonely have a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. It is important to be able to assess them with efficient tools. The objective was to describe tools for assessing feelings of loneliness (FoL) and social isolation (SI) in older adults, and to estimate their prevalence. A systematic review was conducted including 18 studies. For FoL, the most frequently used tool was the UCLA Loneliness Scale. For SI, the most frequently used tool was the Lubben Social Network Scale. The median prevalences of FoL and SI were 24.1% and 42.5%, respectively. Both of these constructs will become more prominent in the coming decades; therefore, there is a need to identify the best tools.
Keywords: emotional support; loneliness; social exclusion; social isolation; social network.