Social distanciation through COVID-19: A narrative analysis of Indian Peri-Urban Elderly

The world encountered an emergent issue of great concern, regarding the new pandemic virus termed as ‘Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)’. This pandemic situation has disconcerted the socio-economic and psychological situations of people and their livelihoods, thus, disturbing societal equilibrium. Social distancing is considered to be an influential weapon to restrict this virus transmission. Like many others, especifically, the elderly people, face pressing difficulties in their daily life-world. Thus, a qualitative study is being considered among the Indian peri-urban elderly (N ​= ​15, >60 years) to identify the experiences of social distancing on their lives and their situation in an everyday living context. The dominant themes are being identified in this study reveal that social relationships are in ‘paradox’ as it binds the proximate familial relations and distantiate the relations with their significant others that is the bonding between their friends and neighbours along with the coping strategies that have been recorded to overcome their immense psychological stress. Moreover, their preparedness to get back to the normal routines of their daily lives in post-COVID-19 is certainly a matter of concern to them. Thus, the study proposes to develop plans and policies towards awareness, counseling, and volunteering services based on local or remote area approach to make coping strategies for them more viable to combat this unforeseen crisis.