Department of Psychiatry, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
Regional Medical Research Centre, Indian Council of Medical Research, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
Prim Health Care Res Dev. 2021 Nov 3;22:e64. doi: 10.1017/S1463423621000207.
We explored the 'coping reflections' of elderly couples living alone (without any other family members) during the COVID-19 pandemic in urban Odisha, India.
Evidence worldwide suggests that older people are at increased risk from COVID-19 adverse outcomes and experience greater stress. In our previous community-based study urban dwelling, particularly elderly participants, and living alone reported higher pandemic-associated health care challenges than their rural and residing-with-family counterparts. We intended to explore how the elderly couples living alone coped through this challenging yet stressful situation during the COVID-19 pandemic and what were their key strategies adopted toward this.
We conducted telephonic in-depth interviews (IDIs) with 11 urban elderly couples living alone in Bhubaneswar city of Odisha, India using a semi-structured interview guide. All IDIs were digitally recorded, transcribed into the original language, and translated to English. We used a thematic approach for analysis.
Four themes emerged: (1) Risk appraisal and feeling vulnerable; (2) Safeguarding against COVID-19; (3) Managing routine health care and emergency; and (4) Pursuing mental and psychological well-being. Although fear, anxiety, and loneliness were continuing stressors, many of them learnt to adapt and emerge resilient with the evolving situation. Various elements at the individual, family, community, and organizational levels were conducive to better coping. The companionship and complementary support of spouse, self-health literacy, and digital efficacy, virtual connectedness with family and friends, availability of community pharmacy and diagnostic services in the vicinity, support of neighbors, reengaging with creative leisure time activity, and assurance of a responsive administration at the time of emergency helped them to cruise through the pandemic. Furthermore, watching the re-telecast of prime time serials made these elderly fondly remember their own youth time memories. Self-health monitoring, indoor physical exercise, spiritual practices, continuation of previous prescription, telephonic advice of physicians were add-on strategies that facilitated their physical and psychological well-being during the pandemic.
我们探讨了印度奥里萨邦城市中独自生活（没有其他任何家庭成员）的老年夫妇在 COVID-19 大流行期间的“应对反思”。
世界各地的证据表明，老年人感染 COVID-19 的不良后果风险增加，压力更大。在我们之前的基于社区的研究中，城市居民，特别是独居的老年人，报告说与大流行相关的医疗保健挑战比他们的农村和与家人一起居住的同龄人更大。我们旨在探讨在 COVID-19 大流行期间，独自生活的老年夫妇如何应对这一充满挑战和压力的情况，以及他们为此采用的主要策略。
我们使用半结构式访谈指南，对印度奥里萨邦布巴内斯瓦尔市的 11 对独自生活的城市老年夫妇进行了电话深入访谈（IDIs）。所有 IDI 都进行了数字录音，并转录为原文，然后翻译成英文。我们使用主题方法进行分析。
出现了四个主题：（1）风险评估和感到脆弱；（2）防范 COVID-19；（3）管理常规医疗保健和紧急情况；（4）追求心理和心理健康。尽管恐惧、焦虑和孤独仍然是持续的压力源，但他们中的许多人学会了适应并随着情况的发展变得有弹性。个人、家庭、社区和组织层面的各种因素都有助于更好地应对。配偶的陪伴和互补支持、自我健康素养、数字效能、与家人和朋友的虚拟联系、附近社区药房和诊断服务的可用性、邻居的支持、重新参与创造性的业余时间活动以及在紧急情况下响应性的行政支持，帮助他们度过了大流行。此外，观看黄金时段电视剧的重播让这些老年人怀念自己的青春时光。自我健康监测、室内体育锻炼、精神实践、继续服用以前的处方、医生的电话咨询是他们在大流行期间促进身心健康的附加策略。
