Research Information System
TRC Journal of Humanitarian Action, vol.1, no.2, pp.65-74, 2022 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
This study aims to examine the effect of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe on older people’s lives in terms of 1) housing and independent living, 2) social networks, 3) economic situa- tion, and 4) support using the first round of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe COVID-19 data. There were 39,659 respondents aged 65 and over in the sample obtained from 27 European countries. The data were collected between June and July 2020; hence, the findings al- low for evaluating the early effects of the pandemic. We conducted a descriptive study to compare genders using the Pearson’s chi-square and Mann–Whitney U tests. The results showed that only a small group moved temporarily owing to the outbreak. The least affected activity was going out for a walk, whereas visiting family members and meeting people were the most negatively affected. In total, 40.8% of female and 27.6% of male respondents received help to obtain necessities and sup- port; their needs were mainly addressed by their children. Furthermore, 36.5% of female and 30.1% of male respondents had a hard time making ends meet. In Türkiye, gender differences regarding poverty and living alone offer a vital perspective about supporting older people in times of disaster.