Older and ‘staying at home’ during lockdown: informal care receipt during the COVID-19 pandemic amongst people aged 70 and over in the UK

On 23 March 2020 the UK went into lockdown in an unprecedented step to attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus. Government advice at that time was that all older people aged 70 and over should stay at homeand avoid any contact with non-household members. This study usesnew data from the Understanding SocietyCOVID 19 survey collected in April 2020, linked to Understanding SocietyWave 9 data collected in 2018/19,in order to examine the extent of support received by individuals aged 70 and over in the first fourweeks of lockdown from family, neighbours or friends not living in the same household,and how that support had changed prior tothe outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The research distinguishes between different types of householdsas,given with guidance not to leave home and not to let others into the household,those older people living alone or living only with apartner also aged 70 and aboveare more likely to beparticularly vulnerable. The results highlight both positive news alongside causes for concern. The receipt of assistance with Instrumental Activitiesof Daily Living(IADLs), especially shopping, hasincreased particularly among those living alone or with an older partner, reflecting the rise of volunteering and community action during this period. However,not all older people reported a rise,and the majority reported ‘no change’,inthesupportreceived. Moreover, amongst those older people reporting that they required support with at least one Activity of Daily Living (ADL) task prior to the pandemic, around one-quarter reported receiving no care from outside the household and one-in-ten of those with two or more ADL care needs reported receiving lesshelp than previously. Although formal home care visits have continued during the pandemic to those who have been assessed by the local governmentto be in need, it is important to acknowledgethat some older people risk not having the support they need