| Course | HCA 502 Research and Program Evaluation Issues in Aging |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 6 |
| Paper type | Evidentiary review table |
| Length | About 383 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | MA in Aging |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HCA 502 Module 6
Evidence on Loneliness and Social Connection Among Homebound Older Adults: An Evidentiary Review Table
Student Name
MA in Aging, Arizona State University
HCA 502: Research and Program Evaluation Issues in Aging
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Evidence on Loneliness and Social Connection Among Homebound Older Adults: An Evidentiary Review Table
Purpose
The table supports a report on whether a layperson telephone program delivered through home-delivered meals services can reduce loneliness among homebound older adults over a longer period than earlier trials tested.
Evidentiary Review Table
| Citation | Design and sample | Key findings | Limits | Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Perissinotto et al., 2012) | Cohort; 1,604 U.S. adults over 60, Health and Retirement Study, 6 years | 43% lonely; loneliness linked to decline in daily activities and death (adjusted HR 1.45) | Single brief loneliness measure; observational | Establishes loneliness as a health risk |
| (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010) | Meta-analysis; 148 studies, 308,849 participants | Stronger social relationships linked to 50% greater odds of survival | Mixed measures of social relationships | Shows the size of the risk across studies |
| (Kahlon et al., 2021) | Randomized trial; 240 Meals on Wheels clients in Texas | Four weeks of layperson empathy-focused calls improved loneliness, depression and anxiety versus control | Four-week follow-up; pandemic period | The model the report will extend |
| (Gardiner et al., 2018) | Integrative review; 38 intervention studies | Most interventions reported some success, but evidence quality was generally weak; adaptable, community-based designs looked most effective | Heterogeneous studies | Shows the need for stronger trials |
| (Gadbois et al., 2024) | Descriptive qualitative; 117 clients, volunteers and staff in six programs | Programs built friendships, reduced loneliness and improved well-being | Self-selected participants | Suggests mechanisms to measure |
| (Cheng et al., 2022) | Qualitative interviews; 18 homebound older adults in Virginia | Participants felt dependent, lonely and isolated; regular contact helped | Small regional sample | Describes the population's experience |
Synthesis
The cohort and meta-analytic evidence show that loneliness and weak social ties carry real health risks for older adults. Qualitative studies explain why homebound adults are especially vulnerable and suggest that friendship and restored identity are the active ingredients of social connection programs. The intervention evidence is promising but thin: a review of 38 studies found mostly weak designs, and the strongest trial in the table followed participants for only four weeks.
The Gap
No randomized trial in this review tested whether layperson telephone programs reduce loneliness among homebound older adults for six months or longer, and none was conducted in the Southwest or examined effects among Hispanic older adults, a growing group in Arizona. The final report will propose a study to address that gap.
References
Cheng, J. M., Batten, G. P., & Yao, N. A. (2022). A qualitative study of the social and lived experiences of homebound older adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 41(3), 744-753. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648211040383
Gadbois, E. A., Brazier, J. F., Turner, J., Hawes, C., Florence, L. C., & Belazis, L. (2024). "It made me feel like a person again": Benefits of Meals on Wheels-based social connection programs. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 43(12), 1924-1938. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648241257798
Gardiner, C., Geldenhuys, G., & Gott, M. (2018). Interventions to reduce social isolation and loneliness among older people: An integrative review. Health & Social Care in the Community, 26(2), 147-157. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12367
Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLOS Medicine, 7(7), e1000316. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316
Kahlon, M. K., Aksan, N., Aubrey, R., Clark, N., Cowley-Morillo, M., Jacobs, E. A., Mundhenk, R., Sebastian, K. R., & Tomlinson, S. (2021). Effect of layperson-delivered, empathy-focused program of telephone calls on loneliness, depression, and anxiety among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 78(6), 616-622. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.0113
Perissinotto, C. M., Stijacic Cenzer, I., & Covinsky, K. E. (2012). Loneliness in older persons: A predictor of functional decline and death. Archives of Internal Medicine, 172(14), 1078-1083. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2012.1993
Reading the HCA 502 Module 6 assignment instructions
The Evidentiary Review Table in HCA 502 is worth 50 points and comes in Module 6, as groundwork for the course's final aging issues paper. It presents your literature review findings in an easy-to-read format, helps build your argument and identifies the gap your report will address. The syllabus requires at least six peer-reviewed articles appropriate for your issue. Use the column structure your instructor provides; a typical table includes the citation, design and sample, key findings, limits and relevance. Follow it with a brief synthesis and a clear statement of the gap. Keep the table to two pages if your instructor allows, and use a smaller font only if readability holds.
Inside the HCA 502 Module 6 example
The sample states the report's purpose in one sentence, then presents six articles of different designs in a single table, each row ending with its relevance to the report. A synthesis paragraph explains what the studies show together, separating evidence on risk from evidence on interventions. A short section names a specific gap, defined by follow-up length, region and population, which the final report will address. The six sources span different designs, so the table shows both the size of the problem and the weakness of the intervention evidence. The gap statement names three specific dimensions, follow-up length, region and population, which a study can address.
HCA 502 Module 6 rubric: what earns full marks
The table is worth 50 points. Readers check that at least six peer-reviewed articles are included, that entries are accurate and concise, that designs and limits are identified correctly and that the table points clearly toward a gap. Marks drop when sources are not peer reviewed, when entries copy abstracts, when the table has no synthesis, when the gap is vague, such as "more research is needed," and when articles are unrelated to the report's issue. Strong tables also stay consistent in what each column reports, use accurate sample sizes and designs and include a brief synthesis that does more than repeat the rows. A gap stated in concrete terms, rather than a general call for research, earns full credit.
HCA 502 Module 6 help from the desk
Choose articles that do different jobs: show the problem, show what has been tried and show what is missing. Keep each cell to a phrase or two. Record design and sample size precisely. Add a relevance column to make your argument visible. Write the gap as something a study could fill: a population, place, outcome or time frame not yet studied. If you are not sure your gap is real, the desk can help check the literature. Draft the gap statement first, then check that every article in your table helps support it. Remove any source that does not. Keep citations in APA format inside the table as well as in the reference list.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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HCA 502 Module 6 questions, answered
Where can I find a free HCA 502 Module 6 sample paper?
The full six-article table on loneliness among homebound older adults is on this page.
How many articles does the HCA 502 evidentiary review table need?
At least six peer-reviewed articles.
What columns should an evidence table have?
Typically the citation, design and sample, key findings, limits and relevance to your question.
What is a research gap?
A specific question the existing studies have not answered, such as an untested population, setting or time frame.
How does the table connect to the final HCA 502 paper?
It lays out the literature behind the final report and names the gap that report will address.