As we settle in for a winter of COVID-19 disruption, with millions of people already in lockdown and unable to mix with other households, my thoughts have turned to the issue of loneliness. This is a particular issue for some older people, although, of course, loneliness doesn't discriminate and plenty of younger people will be affected by the changes caused by COVID-19 too.
New research from Age UK (2020) has found that while some older people are coping well with the pandemic, a ‘sizable minority are finding life incredibly tough’. The research shows that levels of anxiety have increased for older people – with fear of catching the virus playing a big part in this, particularly if they have an underlying health condition. Not only are many people afraid to leave the house in case they catch the virus but they also cannot face a winter of loneliness either. Age UK found that 45% of people aged 70 years or over say that they are either uncomfortable or very uncomfortable leaving their house because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The research also found that while staying at home may help protect older people from the virus, it is leading to problems with loss of mobility and balance from moving around less, increased pain from untreated medical conditions and increased levels of loneliness. One in four older people are unable to walk as far as before the pandemic, and some previously independent older people now require mobility aids to walk short distances that they easily managed before.
Over the last 7 months, older people living with dementia have been significantly impacted by sudden changes to routine, access to services, and reduced ability to maintain regular contact with family and friends. This has led to rapid deterioration in cognitive function, which has affected memory, sleep, mood, and behaviour.
Even before COVID-19, it was estimated that half a million older people go at least five or six days a week without seeing or speaking to anyone at all. Undoubtably the pandemic has made this problem worse. Many people will be missing out on regular social interaction they used to have, with clubs, activities and volunteering cancelled.
While some people have embraced technology to maintain social contact throughout the pandemic, older people are more likely to be unable to access this. The Age UK report suggests that there are four million people over the age of 65 who have never used the internet.
Loneliness of older people is something we all need to be aware of. Perhaps we could all check in on an older neighbour this winter – from a safe social distance of course. The government need to consider this problem too, particularly for those who live alone and haven't formed a support bubble. COVID-19 itself isn't the only risk to the health of older people this winter.
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