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“Even though we are elders living alone”: has social support reshaped the care of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Washiraporn Wannachot (Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham, Thailand)
Pimporn Phukrongpet (Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham, Thailand)
Kanokporn Rattanasuteerakul (Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham, Thailand)
Hanvedes Daovisan (Human Security and Equity Centre of Excellence, Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand)

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare

ISSN: 2056-4902

Article publication date: 11 January 2023

286

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore how social support has reshaped the care of older adults living alone in northeast Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a qualitative method using a narrative gerontological perspective with a descriptive design. Purposive sampling was conducted from 20 in-depth narrative interviews between November 2021 and February 2022 in Maha Sarakham province, northeast Thailand. Data transcriptions were performed using a narrative analytical process.

Findings

The in-depth narrative interviews indicated that older adults living alone during the coronavirus pandemic valued a comfortable life, a sense of place, favourable living arrangements, self-reliance, life goals and meaningful life. The gerontological analysis showed that social support for older adults living alone included a social safety net, networking, supporting needs, physical care and mental health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first qualitative narrative gerontological study to explore how social support reshaped the care of older adults living alone during the COVID-19 pandemic in northeast Thailand.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research project was financially supported by Thailand Science Research and lnnovation (TSRI) 2021.

Citation

Wannachot, W., Phukrongpet, P., Rattanasuteerakul, K. and Daovisan, H. (2023), "“Even though we are elders living alone”: has social support reshaped the care of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic?", International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHRH-09-2022-0096

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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