Bridging loneliness and mobility: an integrated community-based rehabilitation model for older adults

BACKGROUND: As populations age, older adults increasingly experience challenges that extend beyond physical changes to include loneliness, reduced social connections, and lower life satisfaction. Although physical rehabilitation and social participation initiatives have been widely examined, they are commonly addressed as separate domains. Consequently, evidence on integrated community-based rehabilitation (CBR) programmes that simultaneously support physical functioning and psychosocial well-being remains limited. This study examined the effects of a structured, multidimensional CBR programme delivered within a university-based lifelong learning initiative for older adults in Türkiye. METHODS: A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design with a control group was employed. Both groups attended routine Refreshment University lessons. In addition to these standard lessons, the experimental group received a 12-week structured CBR programme consisting of organized physical exercise sessions and facilitated social participation modules. The control group did not receive this additional structured CBR intervention and participated only in the standard Refreshment University lessons. Outcomes were assessed using validated measures of loneliness, life satisfaction, physical self-perception, functional mobility, and muscular strength. RESULTS: Participants in the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements across all assessed physical and psychosocial outcomes, including reduced loneliness, increased life satisfaction, enhanced physical self-worth, improved functional mobility, and greater muscular strength. Although the control group also showed modest improvements, the magnitude of change was consistently greater in the intervention group. Post-intervention correlation analyses conducted within the intervention group revealed significant associations between functional mobility, psychosocial well-being, and dimensions of physical self-perception. CONCLUSIONS: Integrated community-based rehabilitation programs that combine physical activity with intentional social participation, when delivered alongside existing formal lifelong learning programs, offer multidimensional benefits for older adults and may promote more inclusive and participatory approaches to aging.