[Perceived restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic by older persons in Switzerland].

Abstract

Background: The current coronavirus pandemic has had various effects on older people's everyday lives. Within the framework of pandemic-related protective measures, people over 65 years of age in particular were asked to stay away from public places and avoid direct physical contact.

Aim: This paper examines how the pandemic affected the feelings of people over 50 years of age with regard to the limited daily supply of everyday things, outdoor physical activity and social contact.

Material and methods: In May and June 2020, telephone interviews were conducted with 1011 people aged 50 years and over living in Switzerland. The average respondent age was 65 years and 53% of the respondents were women.

Results: The results show that the respondents hardly felt any negative changes in their supply of everyday things or outdoor activity; however, 43% of those surveyed stated that during the pandemic, with its associated protective measures, they more often felt that they were unable to spend enough time with people they cared about. The multivariate results show that education played a role in the respondents' evaluation of everyday life considered in the interviews.

Conclusion: This study identifies older people's feelings about possible everyday restrictions and should stimulate discussion in practical gerontological work to better consider older people's subjective perceptions.