Social Networks, Use of Communication Technology, and Loneliness of Frail Older People Ageing in Place in Italy: The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

Description

Data come from the follow-up of the main study “Inclusive ageing in place” (IN-AGE), regarding frail older people aged 65 years and over (males and females). The main study was a cross-sectional qualitative survey carried out in 2019 by face-to-face interviews to frail older people without cognitive impairment, and living at home, alone or with a private personal care assistant (PCA), in three Italian Regions: Lombardy (North), Marche (Centre) and Calabria (South). Both peripheral/degraded areas of urban sites and fragile rural locations were included, with regard to social and material vulnerability aspects (e.g. high presence of frail older people living alone, poor provision of services). The follow up was carried out in July-September 2020, and it was aimed to explore and compare effects of lockdown, due to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (February-May 2020), on frail older people living alone at home in Brescia and Ancona, two urban cities located respectively in the Northern and Central Italy. This country was the Western epicenter of the first wave of the pandemic, that differently affected the two cities as for infections, with a more severe impact on the former one. The dataset (41 respondents, vs 48 in the main survey) regards available social networks (family, friends, neighbors), use of communication technology (mobile, smartphone, PC/tablet), and perceived loneliness. Also, fears due to the pandemic were reported. A semi-structured interview was administered by telephone due to social distancing imposed by the pandemic. Participants were asked to report and motivate possible changes due to the pandemic. A simple quantitative analysis (frequency distribution/bivariate analysis) of closed responses was carried out by using Microsoft Excel software 2019. Findings showed that seniors increased mainly telephone (TEL) contacts especially in Ancona. In both cities fears for the infection emerged too, and mainly in Ancona than Brescia several cases of worsened perceived loneliness were detected. Despite the exploratory nature of the study, with a not-representative (small) sample of the target population, and notwithstanding some differences among cities, findings stressed the risk of isolation and loneliness of seniors living alone. This risk was buffered by the use of communication technology during the lockdown, but more interventions allowing a sustainable healthy ageing (HA) in place, enhancing healthy behaviors especially in emergency situations, are needed. The dataset is provided in open format (xlsx) and includes the following: a “numeric” dataset regarding the unlabeled dimensions used for statistics elaboration; a codebook with both the complete variables list and variables labels we used. The dataset was produced within the framework of the IN-AGE project, funded by Fondazione Cariplo, Grant N. 2017-0941.

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