Older people ‘crushed’ by anxiety and loneliness of lockdown

MILLIONS of pensioners have been “crushed” by lockdown, with many vulnerable people losing confidence, mobility and functions such as memory, a major report shows.

Age UK said the restrictions had left too many vulnerable people isolated and anxious, and without the support they needed.

Covid-19 has “hit the fast-forward button on ageing”, with a substantial group of people l eft “frightened, depressed and very much alone”, the charity said.

Its polling of 1,364 pensioners found that since lockdown, around a quarter cannot walk as far as they used to, with a third becoming more anxious, and a fifth suffering a deterioration in their memory. Two thirds felt less confident in taking public transport while two in five were worried about going to the shops and a quarter were unsure about spending time with family.

The charity is launching a winter resilience campaign to help boost older people’s health and morale.

It collected testimonies from older people and their families, with one older man saying he feels like a “prisoner in my own home”, and the partner of another saying the pandemic had “stolen his freedom and life”.

One pensioner in her 70s said: “I have cancer. To get up day after day knowing that you can’t see the people who you love is extremely hard. This might be my last summer or last year of my life and I can’t do the things that make me happy.”

Age UK said a “sizeable minority” of older people are finding life incredibly tough, with those already ill or living with long-term health conditions most likely to report challenges.

Many older people are living with “increased and sometimes devastating” levels of anxiety, afraid to go out because they are at serious risk from the virus.

And months of reduced exercise has led to muscle weakness and mobility problems, while cognitive decline is believed to have been exacerbated by the isolation caused by the pandemic.

Caroline Abrahams, Age UK’S charity director, said: “As many as a third of all older people really are struggling and, given the reluctance of this age group to admit their difficulties and ask for help, we suspect that, in reality, the numbers affected are considerably higher – running into millions without doubt.”