This study from Age UK reinforces what the charity has been frequently hearing from older people during the last six months: that many are deeply afraid of COVID-19 - and understandably so.

As a result, even though the number of COVID cases reduced over the summer, a significant proportion of older people still stayed at or close to home. Now that cases are rising again they will be all the more cautious.

Staying at home may help to protect older people from the virus but, as this report shows, it can lead to other serious problems: for example, loss of function - mobility and balance especially as a result of moving around less; pain from untreated medical conditions that will often have got worse these last few months; and the psychological impact of living with so much stress, uncertainty and isolation, leading to increased loneliness among other problems.

Sadly, taken together these findings paint a picture of a substantial group of older people who have been left frightened, depressed and very much alone. Some said they could no longer take pleasure in the things they used to enjoy, and with no end yet in sight to the pandemic they found it hard to have hope for the future. Others were acutely conscious that time is not on their side. When life returns to some normality they thought it might be too late for them, those with serious health conditions especially.

Older people are typically extremely resilient and self-sufficient but COVID-19 and our policy responses to it pose them with unique challenges. This research was carried out in the summer. With winter fast approaching, how are these older people feeling now, and how much worse will they feel in two-or three-months’ time as the weather gets colder and the nights draw in?

Read the full report here.