Parfenova O A
Sociological Institute, Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 25/14 str. 7th Krasnoarmeyskaya, St. Petersburg 190005, Russian Federation, e-mail:
Adv Gerontol. 2020;33(6):1027-1031.
One of the most vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic was the older people. This is due not only to the danger of the disease itself and its consequences, but also to the conditions of quarantine restrictions. Based on the materials of 26 interviews with representatives of the older people (from 63 to 87 years old), we analyzed how older people experienced the pandemic in St. Petersburg. The interviews were collected from July to September 2020 by senior volunteers (60+) of the non-commercial organization «House of Projects» (St. Petersburg). The most difficult informants endured spatial isolation in their own apartments and the inability to take walks, maintain live communication, lack of reliable information about pamdemic. In the case of medical care, many were forced to cancel scheduled visits and examinations, postpone surgery indefinitely, and also experienced difficulties in obtaining prescription drugs, glasses and dental care. On the positive side during the quarantine period, elderly informants noted the development of youth volunteer movement and assistance, the development of mobile devices and online communication methods, and the establishment of closer emotional ties with relatives. In summary, we can say that the strict restrictions on leaving homes for the older people, and intimidation «from TV», lack of reliable information, restrictions on access to health care, clearly observed during the quarantine period, do not correspond to the responsible care for citizens by state.
在新冠疫情期间，最脆弱的群体之一是老年人。这不仅是由于疾病本身及其后果带来的危险，还因为隔离限制措施。基于对26名老年人（年龄从63岁至87岁）代表的访谈材料，我们分析了圣彼得堡的老年人是如何经历这场疫情的。这些访谈是由非商业组织“项目之家”（圣彼得堡）的老年志愿者（60岁以上）于2020年7月至9月收集的。最困难的受访者忍受着独自居家隔离、无法散步、无法保持面对面交流以及缺乏关于疫情的可靠信息。在医疗护理方面，许多人被迫取消预定的就诊和检查，无限期推迟手术，并且在获取处方药、眼镜和牙科护理方面也遇到困难。在隔离期间的积极方面，老年受访者提到了青年志愿者运动和援助的发展、移动设备和在线交流方式的发展，以及与亲属建立了更紧密的情感联系。总之，我们可以说，在隔离期间明显观察到的对老年人离家的严格限制、来自“电视”的恐吓、缺乏可靠信息以及获得医疗保健的限制，与国家对公民的责任关怀不相符。
