Strengthening Bonds: A Telephone Reminiscence Intervention to Reduce Social Isolation and Improve Mental Health in Rural Older Adults

ABSTRACT Older adults in rural regions face a “health penalty” compared to those in urban settings, experiencing poorer mental health outcomes and higher rates of physical health problems. In addition, social isolation and loneliness are significant concerns in rural regions. Evidence supports that social isolation and loneliness negatively impact both the physical and mental health of older adults. Therefore, it is essential to develop targeted interventions that promote social connection and support healthy aging, aligning with the NIA’s Health Disparity framework. Storii is an innovative telephone-based service that facilitates reminiscence, which serves the purpose of recalling and sharing memories. Storii conducts reminiscence by posing meaningful questions about participants’ life experience and collecting their responses directly over phone calls. This service helps older adults create lasting memories while fostering stronger social connections with their informal caregivers. Storii’s telephone-based service departs from traditional models that rely on in-person sessions or internet- based platforms, creating a new paradigm for accessible mental health support. Storii leverages landline and mobile phone technology to make reminiscence programs accessible to a broader audience, including those in rural areas with limited digital infrastructure. The direct to Phase II application proposes a clinical trial to enhance the Storii telephone reminiscence program, focusing on increasing its accessibility and usability for older adults and informal caregivers living in rural areas. The first specific aim is to increase Storii phone service accessibility by developing enhancements to the existing Storii phone product and conducting focus groups and telephone surveys with 15 dyads (user and informal caregiver). The second specific aim is to conduct a full-scale fidelity trial of the enhanced Storii product with 300 dyads of older adults and informal caregivers living in rural counties. Successful completion of this Phase II SBIR grant will demonstrate Storii’s potential as a scalable and accessible intervention for rural populations. This program has the potential to significantly improve mental health outcomes and social connections for older adults and their caregivers, especially those who have lacked opportunities to document and share their life stories due to geographic or technological barriers.