Use of technology by the elderly during the pandemic: an ally to social isolation

Abstract

The scenario of the Covid-19 pandemic has significantly changed the lives and daily lives of people, especially the elderly population, this is because they are classified as a risk group for the disease. In this context, the elderly face physical distancing and, consequently, self-isolation. The present study aims to analyze how the use of technology by the elderly can be an ally to social isolation during the pandemic. This is an integrative literature review, adopting a methodological script based on six phases that guide the structure of an integrative review. The search was carried out in the electronic databases of the Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS), the Nursing Database (BDENF) and the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE). In this review, 12 articles were selected, indexed between the years 2020 and 2022. Two categories were created for the discussion, the first on the use of technologies by the elderly and the second on the motivations and barriers of this use. The first topic emphasized how the use of technologies by the elderly can help improve the mental health of this population. The second reported the benefits of using technology such as development of autonomy, communication, performance of daily activities by the elderly, however, it was also evident that the lack of resources, difficulties in handling, physical limitations are still major barriers in the adhesion of technologies by elderly. It can be concluded that entertainment, communication, access to information are great allies for the elderly isolated due to the pandemic, but there are still barriers that must be broken to contribute even more to their development and their quality and life.