Misunderstandings about older people fuel corona virus complacency

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore public assumptions underlying the apparent disregard for the lives of older people during the coronavirus outbreak. It attempts to dispel myths about quality of life among older people.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper integrates the author’s personal experiences as a doctor with data collection, which involved general PubMed searches for articles relating to the public response to the effect of coronavirus on older people; beliefs about the lives of older people; and issues of happiness, contentedness and quality of life in older people.

Findings

Some people have concluded that the lives of older people – which they believe to be of low quality – are worth risking to lessen the economic impact of coronavirus. This morbid calculation is based in part on the assumption that older people are less happy than younger people. In fact, the evidence shows that as people get older, they become significantly happier.

Originality/value

This paper asks readers to explore their assumptions about ageing and reaffirms the importance of protecting older people in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Citation

Altshuler, E. (2020), "Misunderstandings about older people fuel corona virus complacency", Working with Older People, Vol. 24 No. 4, pp. 269-272. https://doi.org/10.1108/WWOP-06-2020-0033