Keywords

nursing home residents, quality of life, family visitation, visitation frequency

Abstract

This integrative literature review examines the relationship between quantity of visitation and quality of life (QOL) of nursing home residents. The purpose of this review is to examine existing research to determine whether an optimal “dosage” of visitation exists that meaningfully enhances QOL for this vulnerable population. Establishing an evidence based- guideline may help reduce uncertainty for families and promote more consistent improvements in resident well-being. Nursing home residents are the focus of this work because their limited ability to leave the facility makes visitation one of their primary sources of non-occupational social interaction. The COVID19 pandemic further heightened the relevance of this topic, as visitation restrictions intensified isolation and brought renewed attention to the importance of social connection in long-term care. A search was conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE, and APA PsycINFO with focus on peer-reviewed academic journals published in English between 2015 and 2025, with key terms including “aged”, “nursing homes”, “visitation”, “relatives”, “quality of life”, and “well-being”. The initial search yielded 189 results, which was narrowed down to 17 studies by excluding studies with an incorrect population focus, incorrect visitation interventions, and emphasis on technological visitation. Three major themes emerged from the literature: (1) visitation frequency and overall QOL, (2) visitation frequency and mood-related outcomes, and (3) restricted visitation during the COVID19 pandemic. Across all themes, several limitations complicated efforts to identify- an exact “optimal” visitation dosage, including heterogeneity in how visitation was defined, differences in respondent types (residents vs. family members), and data drawn from multiple countries with varying cultural norms and policies. These limitations informed the review’s recommendations for policy, education, and clinical practice.

Thesis Completion Year

2026

Thesis Completion Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair

Conner, Norma

College

College of Nursing

Department

Nursing

Thesis Discipline

Nursing

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

1 year

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Additional Files
HUTSophieCarlton2026word.docx (90 kB)
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