Our research associate María Beatriz Fernández is one of the authors of the first study on quality of life of elderly persons during the pandemic in Chile. The publication was developed with María Soledad Herrera (MICARE senior researcher), Pío Marshall (MICARE research assistant), Claudia Giacoman, Daniella Leal, Miriam Rubio, Raúl Elgueta, and Felipe Bustamante.

Main results:

Increased headaches, memory loss, sleeping difficulties, and the stress of seeing images on a daily basis showing them as the group most vulnerable to coronavirus infection were some of the consequences reported by elderly persons in Chile during the COVID-19 health crisis. At the same time, there was also evidence of increased resilience in this population group.

Of the total sample, 56.5% of elderly persons reported difficulties, the main one being “not being able to leave the home”. Problems associated with shopping and obtaining permits were also mentioned.

One of the main comparative data points with pre-pandemic life was the level of overall satisfaction: people not very satisfied or downright dissatisfied with their life increased from 32% in 2019 to 55% in the summer and fall of 2021.