COVID-19-Related Lifestyle Changes among Community-Dwelling Older Adult Day-Care Users: A Qualitative Study

Akira Teramura, Yumi Kimura, Kosuke Hamada, Yasuko Ishimoto and Masato Kawamori
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Akira Teramura: Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Yumi Kimura: Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Kosuke Hamada: Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Yasuko Ishimoto: Department of Health and Sports Science, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, Okayama 701-0193, Japan
Masato Kawamori: Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: In Japan, the community-based comprehensive care system is an important initiative. The purpose of this study was to understand COVID-19-related lifestyle changes experienced by older adults who lived in communities and used day-care services. Using a qualitative inductive research method, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 older adults who used day-care services in Kyoto City, which assessed lifestyle changes before and after the spread of COVID-19 during March–April 2021. The extracted lifestyle change codes were classified into six categories and 16 subcategories. The data revealed that older adults felt socially isolated and experienced multiple changes in their lives, including limited leisure activities, changes in roles, decreased interpersonal interaction with family and acquaintances, poor diet and sleep quality, and reduced attention to personal appearance and grooming. The findings suggest that during COVID-19, older adults had difficulty adapting to the various changes in their lives and showed a decline in physical and mental functioning. Thus, it is important for day-care facilities to create sustainable spaces in response to the various care needs of community-dwelling older adults whose lifestyles have changed as a result of the COVID-19 situation.

Keywords: COVID-19; older adults; lifestyle change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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