The impact of COVID-19 on older people in a rural district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The process of ageing and the pressures related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown have multiple interrelated implications for older people's health and mental wellbeing. There is limited information on interventions for improved elder care in rural contexts. We will fill this gap through a longitudinal study using qualitative methods on the impact of COVID-19 and the lock down on older people in uMkhanyakude. The research questions are: [1] What was the impact of access to food, family/friend support and health care for older people during the lock-down and, if appropriate, sheltering from SARS-CoV-2 infection? [2] What is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the wellbeing of older people? [3] What interventions would provide improved quality of life for older people? We collected oral diaries over a period of six months. In the first interview we asked participants to recall the experience of lock down, the challenges they may have faced accessing supplies and care, and of being distant from family members. In the subsequent interviews we asked participants to recall the previous week, any times of joy (when perhaps someone phoned or sent them a gift of food or money) and times of worry (if food was short or someone was unwell).

Keywords