Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Well-being, Coping, Stress, and Happiness of Older Persons in Fragile Families and Guidelines for Improving New Normal Lifestyles

Abstract

This qualitative study was a part of a mixed method research project. The purpose was to explain the experiences of fragile families facing problems, stress, and happiness. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 10 older informants (60-69 years) from 10 families. The fragile families included 3 types of families: older adults staying alone, older adults live with a spouse, and older adults in skipped-generation families. In-depth interviews were used for data collection. Data were analyzed by content analysis. The findings revealed 4 themes and 7 subthemes: 1) happiness of grandparents (loving and caring grandchildren more than themselves, “Unconditional Love”), 2) children caring for parents (technology leading to family bonds, the impacts of economic status on children’s roles, 3) life experiences resulting in older adults coping (accepting the situation, relationships in fragile families, “crisis turns to opportunity”), and 4) Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and crisis. The findings demonstrated that, though older adults in fragile families faced economic crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were able to successfully cope through positive attitudes, good relationships within their families, and the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy. These findings could be applied to older adults in such fragile families. Their lifestyles could be based on the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy. Further study should be done in additional vulnerable groups to prove and improve generalizability.