Abstract
The ageing of society is a significant social and economic challenge in the 21st century Europe. The article analyses loneliness and social isolation among seniors in long-term care (LTC) institutions, as well as how COVID-19 restrictions influence their social isolation. Loneliness and social isolation are different phenomena, but they are interconnected. The feeling of loneliness is a person’s psychological state, but it is especially exacerbated among seniors. Loneliness is closely linked to the deficit of social relations. The study employs a mixed methods approach: a survey using the UCLA Loneliness Scale and semi-structured interviews with social workers in LTC institutions during the first wave of COVID-19 in the spring of 2020. A significant number of seniors in LTC experience loneliness or social isolation. The qualitative interviews reveal factors that account for loneliness among seniors. The study also indicates how social workers can reduce seniors’ sense of loneliness and social isolation caused by COVID-19 restrictions. Daily routines and pandemic constraints in LTC institutions to some extent limit the social worker’s ability to address the loneliness of seniors.
Highlights
Europe, including EU member states, is the part of the world where the proportion of seniors continues to rise
The survey data are drawn from a study carried out by Dace Lina, a graduate student at the University of Latvia. In her Master thesis “The loneliness problem of seniors in long-term social care institution”, she uses the UCLA Loneliness Scale to measure the level of loneliness in three Long-term care (LTC) institutions in Riga
The study results suggest that the feeling of loneliness and social isolation is a problem to be solved in LTC institutions
Summary
Europe, including EU member states, is the part of the world where the proportion of seniors continues to rise. In 2020, more than one fifth of the EU-27 population was aged 65 and over. The ageing problem will become more severe in the coming decades. The share of those aged 65 years or above is projected to increase up to 31% by 2100 (EU-27) [1,2]. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a social phenomenon spreading among people and having an impact on individuals, households, and communities [3]. Long-term care (LTC) institutions have been one of the epicentres of COVID-19
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