Perception on the quality of life of elderly people during COVID-19 pandemic in Chile

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the perception of the quality of life of the elderly as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic that has been affecting the world since December 2019, and that as of January 2021 records more than 100 million cases worldwide. The most affected population has turned out to be the elderly with chronic diseases and those with organic dysfunctions, product of physiological changes that are expressed with old age. The study is framed in the interpretative-comprehensive paradigm, with a qualitative methodology, considering the realization of 17 semi-structured interviews to older adults who participated in sports-recreational workshops offered by the National Institute of Sports in the region of Maule, Chile. The interviews were conducted during the months of July and September 2020 and were carried out via Skype or video call, in order to maintain the distance and respect the measures established by the health authority in Chile. As for the results, the affectation of the quality of life of older adults, who have not been able to perform regular physical activity during the months of the pandemic, added to the adverse psychological effects of confinement and social isolation, which has prevented them from having direct and face-to-face contact with their loved ones, is evident.