During the pandemic, the elderly from Moldova face social isolation, while having limited access to medical treatment. Some of them did not leave the house for three to four months. This leads to insufficient communication and deepens feelings of loneliness. These findings were published in a research piece, conducted by the Platform for Active Aging, represented by 18 public organizations.
The research was conducted in three districts: Ştefan-Vodă, Edineţ and Străşeni. The research targeted 211 people older than 50 years of age. "About 19 percent of respondents did not leave at all their homes or yards over the course of the first three to four months of the pandemic", said the manager at the multifunctional Center from Tudora village, Ştefan-Vodă, part of the Public Association "CONCORDIA. Social Projects", member of the Platform for Active Aging, Veronica Mocan, during a press conference. Long term, social isolation and lack of social contact could have profound consequences for the physical and mental health of the elderly population, said Veronica Mocan.
About two-thirds of respondents complained about limited access to medical care. They were unable to reach the doctor over the course of the first three to four months of the pandemic, although many of them have chronic illnesses and require continuous medical supervision.
Another problem that the elderly are facing is the decrease of income. "Even though pension payment was not affected, we found that in the first months of the pandemic, income from other sources than pensions has halved. This includes income from both agricultural and non-agricultural work, income from day labor or occasional work. We consider that seniors cannot afford protective equipment consumables due to small pensions", said Veronica Mocan.
The research was carried out within the "Integrating active aging in public policies" project. The project was conducted with the support of the Eastern European Foundation, in partnership with the Center "Partnership for Development", with financial assistance from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and from Sweden.
