“A Population at Risk”: Ageism Toward Elders During the COVID-19 Era in Israel

Abstract

The article focuses on ageism during COVID-19 lockdowns. It is based on a study that investigated how the elder population, living at home or in out-of-home settings, experienced that period. It also explored managements’ attitude toward residents’ representatives in out-of-home frameworks during that time. Employing the narrative research method 16 interviews were carried out with people aged 75–97, living at home or in out-of-home settings, with tenants’ representatives and a few officials. The research revealed that all interviewees encountered ageist attitudes. Yet, those living at home experienced relative independence and control of their lives while the sense of isolation was especially acute among tenants in institutional settings, sometimes described as “a prison.” This connotation is accentuated by the tenants’ representatives’ claims about silencing them. Thus, it appears that the COVID-19 period intensified the embedded conflicts between residents’ representatives and managements. However, all appeared to comply with the strict regulations and supervision.