Coronavirus Lockdown Anniversary

A year of lockdown has changed our lives in ways we couldn't have fully imagined at the time. 

365 days later, we would still be in lockdown, and more than 126,000 people in the UK, the vast majority over the age of 65, would have lost their lives to the virus. In Scotland, nearly 90% of all deaths linked to Covid-19 have been of people over this age. 

We have heard from tens of thousands of older people about the challenges they face and how Covid-19 has affected their lives in the year since the first lockdown. Our helpline has handled record numbers of calls, our surveys offered invaluable insight and community development work with older people's groups shone a light on the vital work happening in neighbourhoods all over the country.

We wanted to reflect on the last year and have spotlighted three specific issues which haven't always made headlines but nevertheless have had a profound impact on the lives of older people in Scotland.