Older people in the Finnish North and corona: Perspectives of the caring and the cared for

The majority of the people who have died of coronavirus in Finland have been over 70 years old. Research on the older population at large has revealed that those who are socially isolated and lonely have experienced more serious physical and mental impacts than others.Yet, in the Finnish North the pandemic has had both positive and negative effects on the lives of older people. This brief investigation explores how older people have coped and maintained relationships with those close to them during the crisis. It is based on the experiences of ten people living far from parents in need of help or care; six professionals providing care in a nursing home; and twenty older people who are living in their own homes. Mixed experiences of the impact of the pandemic were reported by older people, their relatives and care professionals over the two-year period studied. Older people living at home had a peaceful life but low levels of social interaction.