Most seniors have had more contact with their families during the confinement, but an already very isolated minority was even more so during the epidemic of coronavirus, a study published on Thursday June 4 by the association “Little Brothers of the Poor”, which calls for a policy to prevent loneliness, reveals a study.
Despite a good surge of family and civic solidarity, many elderly people, especially older women on low incomes, have suffered even more from loneliness and isolation
, notes the association.
This isolation it’s not only during a crisis, not that during a heat wave, it’s all year
, say the “Little Brothers”, who see it as aggravating factor of loss of autonomy
.
“Triple penalty isolation-precariousness-digital exclusion”
A CSA study, carried out for the association among 1,503 people over the age of 60, certainly highlights a strengthening family contacts
during confinement: 43% of those surveyed said that they had contact with their families almost every day during this period, compared to 33% before.
Conversely, 4% of those over 60, or 720,000 seniors, had no contact with their families during confinement
, while only 1% reported such a situation before the epidemic, according to the report.
These most isolated elderly people, live a kind of permanent confinement, […] a triple penalty isolation-precariousness-digital exclusion
and could have felt completely abandoned
during the epidemic crisis.
Often, their only regular contact was with traders or health professionals, whom they no longer saw during confinement. These are invisible
who suffered the most
, according to the general delegate of the “Little Brothers”, Armelle de Guibert.
“Endless days”
I feel lonely. Nobody comes to see me. I go around in my room. The days are endless
, testifies Claudette, 87, cited in the document.
Digital has certainly restored contacts: 59% of seniors with internet access have made “video” calls with their loved ones (and even 43% of those over 85). However, underline the “Little Brothers”, 4.1 million French people aged 60 and over never use the internet, especially the oldest and poorest
.
For Armelle de Guibert, the stake of this crisis will be to sustain the dynamic of solidarity
that manifested itself during confinement, so that we go to those who have fallen through the cracks
.
The question of loneliness is an unthought of our public policies
, she underlines. The Covid-19 crisis brought it to light, but we don’t want it to go down like a soufflé
.
Refusal of the “commodification of social ties”
For the association, it is important to prevent
the isolation of the elderly. For those who still reside at home, this must go through an improvement in urban planning and the supply of transport, to encourage travel, but also by maintaining local services and shops.
And for those who live in retirement homes, you have to systematize telephone lines in rooms
, “equipping all establishments with digital tools for use by residents
, or facilitate the intervention of support volunteers
and their give a clear status
, advocates the association.
These volunteers should be considered relatives for the most isolated residents
, according to the “Little Brothers”, including several speakers, who had created links with the elderly, deplore the fact that they were not even warned when the latter were taken away by the Covid-19.
The association also considers it important to refuse to market the social link
, citing business proposals from companies that send students make so-called convivial visits
in seniors. Should an isolated senior pay to talk or play a board game with someone?
, wonder the “Little Brothers”.
– .
