One in four older people can’t walk as far since lockdown, survey finds

Around one quarter of older people have said they were unable to walk as far as before lockdown or were living in more pain than before the pandemic, a study has found.

People reported being less steady on their feet, struggling to manage the stairs and feeling less independent since the crisis began, according to polling for Age UK.

The declines are being put down to successive lockdowns, social distancing measures, the loss of routines and support, and access to services being limited.

Some 27 per cent of adults aged 60 and over said they could no longer walk as far, and 25 per cent said they were in more pain.

The survey also found evidence of accelerated cognitive decline, with more than a fifth (22 per cent) of respondents saying they now found it harder to remember things.

The charity fears the adverse effects may prove long-lasting and in some cases be irreversible, heaping pressure on NHS and social care services in the coming years.

Some 1,487 people aged 60 and over were questioned in January and February, during the third national lockdown.

Extrapolated to the UK population, the findings suggest that millions of older people have suffered a decline in their health during the pandemic.

The charity also found that some people living with a mental health condition reported their symptoms had been exacerbated, while others were feeling depressed or anxious for the first time.

More than a third (36 per cent) of respondents said they were feeling more anxious since the start of the pandemic, and 43 per cent said they were less motivated to do the things they enjoy.

Almost a fifth (18 per cent) of those surveyed said they felt less confident leaving the house alone.

Among older people from ethnic minority backgrounds, 26 per cent were also less confident in getting out, accessing health services or receiving support at home.

In 14,840 responses to an online survey, people spoke of crying daily due to loneliness, feeling like a prisoner and having had their confidence and purpose “sapped”.

One person said: “Haven’t moved out of the house for months on end. Can’t even make it up the stairs now (previously no problem at all).”

Another said: “Some days very down, don’t bother to get washed and dressed, what’s the point.”

And a third older person said: “I get panicky when l have to go out in public. l have nightmares about being out in a crowd and no-one is wearing a mask.”

Last year, an Age UK study found older people were suffering higher and “sometimes devastating” anxiety, partly through knowing they were at serious risk from coronavirus.

Not being able to go out led to muscle weakness, leaving people at a higher risk of falls. Older people also suffered more pain as health conditions went untreated, the researchers found.

Caroline Abrahams, Age UK’s charity director, said: “Our research found that earlier this year, immobility, deconditioning [muscle weakness], loneliness and an inability to grieve as normal were leaving deep physical and emotional scars on a significant proportion of our older population,” she said.

“It’s too soon to know for certain how many older people can ‘bounce back’ from the pandemic, and they are going to need all the help they can get.

“The implications are clear: government must give our physical and mental health and social care services enough additional resources to meet older people’s increased, pandemic-related needs.”

Additional reporting by PA