ABSTRACT

The novel COVID-19 pandemic and its containment measures such as lockdown and physical distancing are remarkedly affecting older adults’ economic activities and well-being in ways deserving of urgent attention. To strengthen caregiving and promote targeted care for older adults during and after the pandemic, this paper investigates the impact of the coronavirus on the economic activities and well-being of older adults in Enugu and Anambra states, Nigeria. Hermeneutic phenomenology was adopted and 16 older adults aged between 60 and 81 years, with a majority of them still working as farmers and traders were phone-interviewed. Findings highlighted four key lessons for gerontological social workers including 1) the fear that impact of the containment measures could kill the older adults faster than the virus; 2) the measures generate a feeling of neglect and marginalization of healthcare needs among older adults; 3) altered positive health-seeking behavior among the older adults; 4) and concern about the absence of functional policy and plan to address the welfare of older adults. Therefore, the central focus of the gerontological social workers and Nigerian polity should not be on how to reduce the spread of the disease alone, but on an application of caution in instituting and implementing the measures.

摘要

新的 COVID-19 大流行及其遏制措施（例如封锁和保持身体距离）正在以值得紧急关注的方式严重影响老年人的经济活动和福祉。为了在大流行期间和之后加强对老年人的护理并促进有针对性的护理，本文调查了冠状病毒对尼日利亚埃努古州和阿南布拉州老年人经济活动和福祉的影响。解释学现象学被采用，16 名年龄在 60 至 81 岁之间的老年人接受了电话采访，他们中的大多数仍然作为农民和商人工作。调查结果强调了老年社会工作者的四个关​​键教训，包括：1）担心遏制措施的影响可能比病毒更快地杀死老年人；2) 这些措施在老年人中产生了一种忽视和边缘化医疗保健需求的感觉；3) 老年人积极的求医行为发生改变；4) 并担心缺乏解决老年人福利的实用政策和计划。因此，老年社会工作者和尼日利亚政体的中心焦点不应该仅仅放在如何减少疾病的传播上，而应该放在制定和实施这些措施的谨慎上。