Psychosocial status of older adults aged 65 years and over during lockdown in Turkey and their perspectives on the outbreak.

Abstract

Older adults over the age of 65 were announced as a high-risk group in the COVID-19 outbreak and had to be placed on lockdown for a long time. The research was conducted to identify the psychosocial status, attitudes, and experiences of individuals aged 65 and over who were in-home lockdown during the COVID-19 outbreak in Turkey. In the study, 51 older adults were reached using the snowball sampling method. The research data were collected through qualitative interviews from older adults who were in house restrictions during the pandemic period, and thematic analysis was performed. As a result of the interviews, four main themes revealed as (a) Growing old is like a crime: The public perception of the older adults regarding the stigma associated with aging, (b) The inevitable course: Potential possibilities arising as a result of the pandemic period, (c) The cost of lockdown at home: Risk factors arising due to staying at home for a long time, (d) The desire for equality: The developing resistance against lockdown and demands for equality. The lockdown applied exclusively to older adults forced them to create new routines and made them aware of some values; however, they asserted that they were stigmatized and lonely, that their concerns about death/catching COVID-19 increased, and they were treated unfairly. Measures should be taken to prevent mental problems in older adults. In addition, public health nurses are advised to provide preventive care services and counselling for early intervention.