Abstract:
COVID-19 was spreading in the Sri Lankan context unprecedentedly fast. The elders were
identified as a group at risk of this pandemic since the first wave. Thus, psycho-social
encounters with elders are significant in understanding the efficiency of COVID-19
management. The objectives of this study are to identify the psycho-social encounters of
elders during COVID-19 and examine their perceptions towards professional interventions
in managing COVID-19 at the community level in the Sri Lankan context. The study was
exploratory in nature. 20 elders above 60 years of age were selected using a purposive
sampling method. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed through the
narrative analysis method. As revealed in the data, the elders experience an extreme
psycho-social fear of the pandemic. Key sources of such fear lie in the insensitive media use
of spreading disinformation and the stigmatization of infected individuals. These two factors
alone have widened anxiety and frustration among the elders. Further, the constant
presence of armed officials to control the activities of communities has deeply affected the
elderly. Medical recommendations such as quarantine, social distancing have become alien
to the community life that the elders were used to. This study recommended that the media
be sensitive to the domains of community life, thereby asserting support rather than
alerting depart of them. It is important to use a blend of professional and indigenous
knowledge when mobilizing communities during pandemics. It is important that a
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community social model for interventions consider involving social workers who are
well-versed in addressing community dynamics.
