TY - JOUR
T1 - “Keeping our distance”: Older adults' experiences during year one of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown in Australia
AU - Brijnath, Bianca
AU - Ostaszkiewicz, Joan
AU - Batchelor, Frances
AU - Dang, Christa
AU - Dow, Briony
AU - Goh, Anita M.Y
A2 - Gilbert, Andrew S
A2 - Garratt, Stephanie M.
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on everyday life in Australia despite relatively low infection rates. Lockdown restrictions were among the harshest in the world, while older adults were portrayed as especially vulnerable by politicians and the media. This study examines the perceptions and experiences of the pandemic and lockdowns among 31 older Australians. We investigated how participants perceived their own vulnerability, their attitudes towards lockdowns and protective behaviors, and how the pandemic affected everyday life. We found that participants were cautious about COVID-19 and vigilant observers of physical distancing. Despite approving of public health guidelines and lockdowns, participants raised concerns about weakening social ties and prolonged social isolation. Those living alone or lacking strong family ties were most likely to report increased loneliness. Most participants nonetheless regarded themselves as “fortunate”: they perceived older age as affording them financial, emotional, and relational stability, which insulated them from the worst impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. In their views, financial independence and post-retirement lifestyles helped them adapt to isolation and the disruption of lockdowns.
AB - The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on everyday life in Australia despite relatively low infection rates. Lockdown restrictions were among the harshest in the world, while older adults were portrayed as especially vulnerable by politicians and the media. This study examines the perceptions and experiences of the pandemic and lockdowns among 31 older Australians. We investigated how participants perceived their own vulnerability, their attitudes towards lockdowns and protective behaviors, and how the pandemic affected everyday life. We found that participants were cautious about COVID-19 and vigilant observers of physical distancing. Despite approving of public health guidelines and lockdowns, participants raised concerns about weakening social ties and prolonged social isolation. Those living alone or lacking strong family ties were most likely to report increased loneliness. Most participants nonetheless regarded themselves as “fortunate”: they perceived older age as affording them financial, emotional, and relational stability, which insulated them from the worst impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. In their views, financial independence and post-retirement lifestyles helped them adapt to isolation and the disruption of lockdowns.
KW - Coronavirus pandemic
KW - Generational differences
KW - Lockdowns
KW - Protective behavior
KW - Retirement
KW - Social isolation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85171321860&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jaging.2023.101170
DO - 10.1016/j.jaging.2023.101170
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85171321860
SN - 0890-4065
VL - 67
JO - Journal of Aging Studies
JF - Journal of Aging Studies
M1 - 101170
ER -