Effects of COVID ‐19 on communication, services, and life situation for older persons receiving municipal health and care services in Stjørdal municipality in Norway

Abstract

The COVID‐19 pandemic has had severe consequences for the older section of the population. In this project, we studied how COVID‐19 measures have impacted a group of older persons as users of municipal health and care services in Norway. We were specifically concerned with how communication works, in terms of the communication channels used, and what this means for the older. We also analyzed the users' experiences during the period of COVID‐19 restrictions in terms of quality of life. In addition, we looked at the municipal service providers' understanding of the situation of the older. The data collection was performed mainly in July 2020 when Norway had relatively strict COVID‐19 restrictions in relation to health and care services for older residents. Our results indicate that COVID‐19 restrictions both impaired the quality of life and security and aggravated loneliness. Regarding the older and communication, it was crucial to identify channels of communication with which the older are most comfortable. The results of this study clearly show that (a) the older had a definite preference for face‐to‐face personal communication; (b) although the older were familiar with the audio phone call and used it as a substitute for home visits, it reduced their security and quality of life; and (c) video‐based media such as smartphones, tablets, and PC were not desirable alternatives to regular voice‐based phones.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social isolation and loneliness – A Nordic research review

“…In July 2020, 38 community-dwelling older adults (50+, average age 78 years) living in Stjørdal (Norway) who received health and/or care services were interviewed about the ways in which the COVID-19 restrictions had affected services and the quality of life of service recipients (Kjerkol et al, 2020). Stjørdal is a small municipality of approximately 25,000 inhabitants and with a mix of rural and urban areas.…”