“I Was... Put in a Cage”: The Experience of COVID-19 Home Confinement among Older Adults Living Alone in Portugal*

São José, José; Timonen, Virpi; Teixeira, Ana Rita; Amado, Carla; Santos, Sérgio Pereira dos; COELHO, PATRICIA

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/19013

Utilize este identificador para referenciar este registo.

Nome:	Descrição:	Tamanho:	Formato:
rccs-13468.pdf		269.64 KB	Adobe PDF	Ver/Abrir

Contacte-nos

Autores

Santos, Sérgio Pereira dos

COELHO, PATRICIA

Resumo(s)

This article presents findings of a qualitative study reporting older adults' experiences of solitary home confinement during Portugal's first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Home confinement was marked by negative experiences, with the exception of one participant who had a particularly favorable combination of resources and circumstances. Negative experiences involved losses in several areas, such as being deprived of out-of-home activities, independence and face-to-face social interactions. Losing out-of-home activi-ties and independence promoted a sense of imprisonment, while losing face-to-face social interactions triggered a feeling of physical loneliness. Considering the potential negative implications of these losses, it is crucial to create innovative solutions that can mitigate them in future lockdowns.