Older Adults During The Covid-19 Epidemic: Perception of Changes In Well-Being and Loneliness

Introduction: Measures and restrictions to prevent, spread and control the Covid-19 epidemic have affected the lives of every individual, especially the older adults. The purpose of the study was to investigate the consequences of measures and limitations of the Covid-19 epidemic in the perception of older adults well-being and loneliness. Methods: In the survey we used a quantitative research approach, in which we used the survey method. The data were obtained with our own survey questionnaire, which was based on theoretical background, and questionnaire WHO-5 and SWSL. We conducted a survey from December 2020 to January 2021, to obtained data from 311. Methods of descriptive and inference statistic were used in the study, and hypotheses were tested using correlation and regression methods. Results: The results of the research show that most older adults believe that the measures and restrictions and limitations of preventing the COVID-19 epidemic have affected their daily lives. They noticed the biggest changes in socializing with others. The results show that the mental well-being of older adults was poorer and their satisfaction with life satisfactory. We found that older adults also perceive changes in their sense of loneliness. Discussion and conclusions: Based on the results of the research, we can conclude that measures and restrictions to prevent, spread and control the Covid-19 epidemic have significantly affected the lives of older adults. Findings pointed out that a health crisis can cause strong changes in the life of an individual, especially in the lives of older adults.