Locked down by inequality: Older people and the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper develops the argument that post-COVID-19 recovery strategies need to focus on building back fairer cities and communities, and that this requires a strong embedding of 'age-friendly' principles to support marginalised groups of older people, especially those living in deprived urban neighbourhoods, trapped in poor quality housing. It shows that older people living in such areas are likely to experience a 'double lockdown' as a result of restrictions imposed by social distancing combined with the intensification of social and spatial inequalities. This argument is presented as follows: first, the paper examines the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on older people, highlighting how the pandemic is both creating new and reinforcing existing inequalities in ageing along the lines of gender, class, ethnicity, race, ability and sexuality. Second, the paper explores the role of spatial inequalities in the context of COVID-19, highlighting how the pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on deprived urban areas already affected by cuts to public services, the loss of social infrastructure and pressures on the voluntary sector. Finally, the paper examines how interrelated social inequalities at both the individual and spatial level are affecting the lives of older people living in deprived urban neighbourhoods during the pandemic. The paper concludes by developing six principles for 'age-friendly' community recovery planning aimed at maintaining and improving the quality of life and wellbeing of older residents in the post-pandemic city.

Precarity and the Pandemic: The Impact of COVID-19 on Single Men Living Alone.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Existing research reveals that single men living alone are at a heightened risk of isolation and precarity. This study traced the impact of the pandemic on the daily lives of a group of single men over three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A qualitative longitudinal study with older people aged 50 and older (n = 102), interviewed by telephone in 2020-2021. This analysis focuses on a subsample comprising single men (n = 16) who lived alone and were interviewed three times (n = 48). The men were White British, Black, and Asian, aged 58-88 years, and were identified as facing difficulties in their lives arising from long-term health problems and or/social isolation. Participants were asked about the impact of, and response to, three lockdowns. Data were analyzed using themes identified in the secondary literature using thematic and longitudinal analysis. RESULTS: For single men living alone, precarity intensified during the pandemic due to worsening physical and/or mental health combined with restricted access to relationships and activities. Key moments in the life course influenced how these men experienced and viewed the impact of COVID-19. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: This analysis sheds light on the deepening precarity of older men living alone during the pandemic, highlighting the emergence of new vulnerabilities for some. The findings emphasize the need, given the likelihood of future waves of the pandemic, to target support at those living alone, particularly in relation to the provision of community health services, social infrastructure, and combating digital exclusion.

Aging in place and the places of aging: A longitudinal study.

Aging in place policies have been adopted internationally as a response to population aging. The approach historically referred to the goal of helping people to remain in their own homes so that they can retain connections with friends and family in their community. However, the places in which people grow old are often hostile and challenging, presenting potential barriers to the policy ideal of aging in place. This may be especially the case in cities characterized by rapid population turnover and redevelopment of buildings through urban regeneration. Yet, to date, there has been limited research focusing on the places of aging, and how these affect the experience of aging in place over time. This paper addresses this gap by presenting four in-depth case-studies from a qualitative longitudinal study of older people living in neighborhoods characterized by high levels of deprivation and rapid population change. The analysis illustrates how aging in place is affected by changing life-course circumstances and the dynamics of these neighborhoods over time. The conclusion suggests that further attention must be given to the changing dynamics of the places where people grow older. It also makes policy suggestions for how aging in place could be supported, taking account of the needs of people as they grow older as well as changes in the communities in which they live. The paper extends theoretical understanding of the interrelationship between aging in place and the places of aging, revealing how these processes change over time.