Investigating the Causes of Elderly People Leaving Home during Coronavirus Disease-19 Epidemic

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) disease affects all age groups, especially the elderly, and regarding the high mortality rate among the elderly, preventive measures are needed to reduce mortality in the elderly. AIM: This study was conducted to investigate the causes of in elderly people leaving home in time of COVID-19 epidemic. METHODS: The present study is a descriptive-analytical study performed on 1656 elderly people in Urmia, Iran, by simple random sampling method. The data collection tool in this study was a researcher-made questionnaire that included demographic characteristics, a questionnaire on the causes of the elderly leaving home during the COVID-19 epidemic. Data were analyzed using Chi-square and Fisher tests using SPSS 23 software. RESULTS: The results revealed that the highest concern of the elderly to leave home was to receive health services (45.89%) such as visiting the doctor or the caregiver, receiving medication, and so on. As the second priority, buying daily necessities such as bread, food, clothes … (42.75%) was one of the reasons for the elderly to leave home. Furthermore, education, gender, age, underlying diseases, occupation, and living conditions of the elderly were related to the needs of health services and living necessities and this relationship was statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Effective interventions should be designed based on the causes of the elderly leaving home, including the use of home distance care and health ambassadors to estimate the needs and causes of leaving home. Therefore, the elderly would be protected from this disease and its mortality.