Author(s): São José, José ; Timonen, Virpi ; Teixeira, Ana Rita ; Amado, Carla ; Santos, Sérgio Pereira dos ; COELHO, PATRICIA
Date: 2022
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/19013
Origin: Sapientia - Universidade do Algarve
Subject(s): COVID-19; Lockdown; Loneliness; Loss; One-person households
This article presents findings of a qualitative study reporting older adults' experiences of solitary home confinement during Portugal's first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Home confinement was marked by negative experiences, with the exception of one participant who had a particularly favorable combination of resources and circumstances. Negative experiences involved losses in several areas, such as being deprived of out-of-home activities, independence and face-to-face social interactions. Losing out-of-home activi-ties and independence promoted a sense of imprisonment, while losing face-to-face social interactions triggered a feeling of physical loneliness. Considering the potential negative implications of these losses, it is crucial to create innovative solutions that can mitigate them in future lockdowns.
