Daily Routine, Leisure Satisfaction, Loneliness, and Well-being among Older Adults in Residential Care: A Cross-Sectional Study

<title>Abstract</title> <p>Daily routine constitutes an important occupational pattern that adds structure to everyday life and may foster participation and healthy ageing. However, there is scarce evidence regarding how daily routines relate to leisure satisfaction, loneliness, and overall well-being among older adults in residential care, particularly in India. This cross-sectional observational study examined the relationships among daily routine, leisure satisfaction, loneliness and overall well-being in 82 older adults residing in a residential care facility in Mangalore, India. A researcher-developed questionnaire using five-point Likert-scale items assessed daily routine, leisure satisfaction, loneliness, and overall well-being. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the study variables, while Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to examine their relationships. Daily routine was moderately positively associated with leisure satisfaction (ρ = 0.495, p &lt; 0.001). No statistically significant associations were observed between daily routine and loneliness (ρ = 0.186, p = 0.094) or overall well-being (ρ = 0.205, p = 0.064). These findings suggest that structured daily routines may be associated with greater leisure satisfaction among older adults in residential care but are not significantly associated with broader psychosocial outcomes, such as loneliness and overall well-being. Therefore, integrating opportunities for meaningful leisure participation, supportive environments, and social participation with routine development may be beneficial for occupational therapy interventions.</p>