Older people’s early experience of household isolation and social distancing during COVID‐19

Brooke, Joanne; Clark, Maria

doi:10.1111/jocn.15485

Cited by 82 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…This was considered the only way to interact in a ‘corona friendly’ way. The patients experienced that to some degree using social media could ease feelings of deprivation and anxiety, which also be seen in other studies (Brooke & Clark, 2020; Brooks et al, 2020; Xu et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Living with the risk of being infected: COPD patients' experiences during the coronavirus pandemic

Mousing

Sörensen

2021

Journal of Clinical Nursing

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Aims To explore the existential significance of living with the risk of being infected with coronavirus in patients with COPD. Background Distancing measures aim to break the coronavirus transmission chains. Physical separation from social networks, and social isolation, are correlated with anxiety and depression. People with a chronic obstructive lung disease are particularly vulnerable due to the increased risk of a serious course of illness, so therefore many of them choose self‐isolation to protect themselves from COVID‐19. Design A qualitative exploratory study using individual semi‐structured interviews. Methods From June to September 2020, 13 participants were recruited through advertisements on Facebook as a convenience sample for semi‐structured individual interviews. The interviews took place through virtual platforms or in physical meetings. Data were analysed using Ricoeur’s phenomenological approach, involving naïve reading, a structural analysis, and a critical interpretation strategy. The study has been reported in line with COREQ guidelines. Findings Living with the threat of being infected with coronavirus has greatly affected everyday life for patients with COPD. The nagging fear of coronavirus as a death threat was a dominant feeling, together with anxiety, loneliness and hope. With self‐isolation followed concerns of being forgotten and thoughts of the future, balancing between fearing the worst, and hoping the best. Conclusions Patients with moderate to severe COPD feel compelled to self‐isolate, as they fear dying from COVID‐19. The study revealed a need for proactive contact with health professionals to calm the patients’ feelings of deprivation, loneliness, hopelessness and anxiety. Relevance to clinical practice Information about the patient's perspective may be used to develop targeted interventions aimed at giving adequate information, supporting hope, implementing digital or virtual solutions to keep in contact, and avoid the feeling of being alone and forgotten during a pandemic crisis.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Living with the risk of being infected: COPD patients' experiences during the coronavirus pandemic

Mousing

Sörensen

2021

Journal of Clinical Nursing

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“…One study reported a higher usage of electronic products by older people [149], whereas others reported contrasting findings [74,81]. Participants felt blessed, lucky, and fortunate to be able to stay in contact with others through social media [91]. Variation in game use by older adults did not differ from that observed in younger populations [167].…”

Section: Life Habitsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Older Adults: Rapid Review

Lebrasseur¹,

Fortin-Bédard²,

Lettre³

et al. 2021

JMIR Aging

239

183

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Background The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the lives of countless members of the general population. Older adults are known to experience loneliness, age discrimination, and excessive worry. It is therefore reasonable to anticipate that they would experience greater negative outcomes related to the COVID-19 pandemic given their increased isolation and risk for complications than younger adults. Objective This study aims to synthesize the existing research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and associated isolation and protective measures, on older adults. The secondary objective is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and associated isolation and protective measures, on older adults with Alzheimer disease and related dementias. Methods A rapid review of the published literature was conducted on October 6, 2020, through a search of 6 online databases to synthesize results from published original studies regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults. The Human Development Model conceptual framework–Disability Creation Process was used to describe and understand interactions between personal factors, environmental factors, and life habits. Methods and results are reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Statement. Results A total of 135 records were included from the initial search strategy of 13,452 individual studies. Of these, 113 (83.7%) studies were determined to be of level 4 according to the levels of evidence classification by the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. The presence of psychological symptoms, exacerbation of ageism, and physical deterioration of aged populations were reported in the included studies. Decreased social life and fewer in-person social interactions reported during the COVID-19 pandemic were occasionally associated with reduced quality of life and increased depression. Difficulties accessing services, sleep disturbances, and a reduction of physical activity were also noted. Conclusions Our results highlight the need for adequate isolation and protective measures. Older adults represent a heterogeneous group, which could explain the contradictory results found in the literature. Individual, organizational, and institutional strategies should be established to ensure that older adults are able to maintain social contacts, preserve family ties, and maintain the ability to give or receive help during the current pandemic. Future studies should focus on specific consequences and needs of more at-risk older adults to ensure their inclusion, both in public health recommendations and considerations made by policy makers.

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“…Despite the problems with perceiving older adults as a homogeneous risk group and the potential isolation of older people who are not digitally savvy, solidarity between the generations and among neighbors has generally been strengthened by the current crisis (Brooke and Clark, 2020; Jones et al, 2020). Creative solutions have emerged, such as telephone networking to do shopping for older neighbors.…”

Section: Current Discussion Within Gerontological Social Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic – Forgotten and stigmatized?

Seifert

2021

International Social Work

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During the current worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, older adults are particularly excluded from in-person society. This essay presents current discussions around self-perceptions and external perceptions of aging during this health crisis. Viewing older adults primarily as members of a risk group hinders recognition of the individuality of millions of older adults worldwide. Social workers should remain aware of the diverse aspects of aging when working with older adults during this pandemic.

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Older people’s early experience of household isolation and social distancing during COVID‐19

Abstract: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Cited by 82 publications

References 39 publications

Living with the risk of being infected: COPD patients' experiences during the coronavirus pandemic

Living with the risk of being infected: COPD patients' experiences during the coronavirus pandemic

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Older Adults: Rapid Review

Older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic – Forgotten and stigmatized?

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