Effects of safety and care services on psychological outcomes and housing satisfaction in Korean middle-aged and older adults living alone

Abstract

Background: Korean society has witnessed a rapid increase in the number of single-person households at risk for loneliness or solitary deaths. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of safety and care services (SCS) on the psychological outcomes and housing satisfaction of Korean middle-aged and older adults living alone.

Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial on residents of public rental housing. A total of 40 people underwent a 3-month intervention. For the experimental group, a caring service IoT solution was installed in participants' houses, and coordinators provided services using IoT information. The control group received only visits by coordinators.

Results: The experimental group showed significant positive changes in depressive symptoms. An interaction effect of time and condition was observed, indicating that the loneliness scores of the experimental group were significantly reduced, whereas those of their counterparts were negligible. Both groups showed significant decreases in suicidal thoughts. Housing satisfaction in both groups significantly increased over time, but group differences were observed.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated the positive effects of SCS on depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts and housing satisfaction for people living alone, suggesting that technology can be a useful tool for helping vulnerable people.

Keywords: Korean middle-aged and older adults living alone; housing satisfaction; psychological outcomes; public rental housing; safety and care services.