Older people and pandemic disaster in the United Kingdom

The COVID-19 pandemic has had global repercussions, and the implications for older people have been profound. The effects quickly took on the scale of a major disaster, which affected all those working with older people as well as older people themselves. This chapter looks at the implications for older people as well as those working in the arena of social work and social care, particularly in terms of managing the pandemic with regard to social justice and human rights. It also incorporates a qualitative study carried out during the pandemic, which explored with older people how they managed increased isolation and the disruption of valued support from social work and social care services and how they utilised telecare adaptations. The research was carried out in Scotland in three different sites (city, rural, and urban), but has international implications. The chapter not only highlights key learning points, but also has significance for social work and social care planning as we move forward.