Social return on investment of interventions supporting aging in place: A systematic review

OBJECTIVES: Loneliness and social isolation are common, and older adults prefer to age in place. Programs that provide social support are essential, yet their value remains uncertain, as conventional cost-effectiveness frameworks may not capture all benefits. Social return on investment (SROI) provides a broader perspective. This study aimed to synthesize existing SROI studies to better understand the value of initiatives supporting aging in place. 

DESIGN: Systematic review. 

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Adults, primarily those aged 65 years and older, living in community settings. 

METHODS: A systematic review of SROI studies, conducted on June 3, 2025 in Embase, MEDLINE, Scopus, Econlit, and NHS Economic Evaluation Database, and supplemented through reference list screening, was reported per PRISMA guidelines. Studies were included if they evaluated interventions focused on social isolation, loneliness, or aging in place among older adults living in community settings. A 12-point Krlev framework was used to assess the methodological quality of studies. 

RESULTS: The review identified 12 SROI studies, 10 from the United Kingdom and 2 from the United States. Interventions ranged from physical activity, arts, and social support to digital learning for older adults, with most also involving caregivers, volunteers, and/or other partners. Reported SROI ratios ranged from 1.20:1 to 11:1, with a median of 5:1, indicating 5 units of social value generated per every unit invested. Eight studies were considered high quality; however, methodological variation and weakly justified estimates for financial proxies, deadweight, displacement, and drop off were present. 

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Despite methodological variation, community-based programs that reduce loneliness, social isolation, and support aging in place consistently generate positive SROI ratios, benefiting participants, families, and volunteers while reducing health care use. Collaboration among researchers, communities, and policymakers is essential to translate findings into community actions that enable older adults to age in place.