Loneliness is a serious societal concern, especially the loss of social connections in later life. Those with sight loss living in care homes are thought to face particular challenges in social engagement, but research is scarce. This study aimed to examine the experience of loneliness amongst residents with sight loss; the different dimensions of loneliness; and their attitudes about the role of care homes in addressing these needs. Through in-depth interviews with 18 residents, supplemented by interviews with family members and care home managers, the research identified that residents were generally satisfied with their social situation. However, there was evidence that sight loss was not appropriately accommodated within the care home. In their efforts to enable all residents to engage in social activities, attempts to include those with sight loss could feel contrived, and residents with sight loss did not feel meaningfully involved. Residents described barriers to forming close associations, including the challenges of background noise in communal spaces and a sense that conversation in the care home lacked stimulation. Residents felt that opportunities to forge and maintain bonds with people outside the care home were limited. The research concludes that care homes should avoid inclusion-for-inclusion's sake, and future research could study the effectiveness of interventions to improve care home links to the wider community.

孤独是一个严重的社会问题，尤其是晚年失去社会联系。人们认为住在养老院的视力丧失者在社会参与方面面临特殊挑战，但研究很少。本研究旨在调查失明居民的孤独感；孤独的不同维度；以及他们对养老院在满足这些需求方面的作用的态度。通过对 18 位居民的深度访谈，并辅以对家庭成员和养老院管理者的访谈，研究发现居民对自己的社会状况普遍满意。然而，有证据表明在养老院内没有适当地容纳视力丧失。在努力让所有居民都能参与社会活动的过程中，有意义地参与。居民描述了形成密切联系的障碍，包括公共空间背景噪音的挑战以及在疗养院谈话缺乏刺激的感觉。居民认为，与疗养院外的人建立和保持联系的机会有限。研究得出的结论是，养老院应该避免为了包容而包容，未来的研究可以研究干预措施的有效性，以改善养老院与更广泛社区的联系。