Elderly people's experience facing social isolation in the COVID-19 pandemic

• Main Authors: Maria Alice Cavalcante Gomes, Cristina da Silva Fernandes, Natalia Ângela Oliveira Fontenele, Nelson Miguel Galindo Neto, Lívia Moreira Barros, Natasha Marques Frota
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal do Ceará 2021-07-01
• Series: Rev Rene
• Subjects: nursing; aged; social isolation; coronavirus infections; pandemics.
• Online Access: http://periodicos.ufc.br/rene/article/view/69236

Objective: to unveil the experience of the elderly with social isolation in the pandemic of COVID-19. Methods: qualitative study, with 14 elderlies in social isolation. The content was recorded and processed using the software Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires. Results: six classes were obtained, the first focused on spirituality and pre-pandemic pleasurable activities; the second was related to missing the extra-household routine and family life; the third, to the construction of a new routine; the fourth, to the strategies adopted for the prevention of COVID-19; the fifth, to the signs/symptoms experienced during the infection; and the sixth class, to the fear of dying. Conclusion: the experience of the elderly was permeated by the adaptation of routine, adoption of preventive measures and feelings of anguish in the face of uncertainties.