This article seeks to understand the needs and difficulties of intervention with older people during the first state of emergency in Portugal due to COVID-19. The results show that these professionals faced challenges they never experienced before and necessitated support to carry out their work in an emergency. The difficulties resulted, not only from the chronic vulnerabilities stemming from the disinvestment of public policies in recent years but also from the uncertainty that the pandemic brought to social interventions. Despite all this, social workers have demonstrated their ability to protect themselves and older people and their families, thus leading to overcoming some of these challenges.
AlgarinABVaras-RodríguezEValdiviaC, et al. (2020) Symptoms, stress, and HIV-related care among older people living with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic, Miami, Florida. AIDS and Behavior24(8): 2236–2238.
2.
AmadasunS (2021) Social work and COVID-19 pandemic: An action call. International Social Work63(6): 753–756.
3.
Association of Social Work Professionals (APSS) (2020) Guidelines for Telework for Social Workers in Public Health Emergencies. Lisbon: APSS.
4.
BaldwinRdi MauroWB (2020) Economics in the Time of COVID-19. London: CEPR Press. Available at: https://b-ok.cc/book/5364678/912b4a (accessed 16 March 2020).
5.
BanksSCaiTde JongeE, et al. (2020) Practising ethically during COVID-19: Social work challenges and responses. International Social Work63(5): 569–583.
6.
BarbéADPérez ViejoJMRodríguez-BriosoM, et al. (2021) Emotional well-being and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: Guidelines for social work practice. International Social Work64(2): 279–284.
7.
BélandDMarierP (2020) COVID-19 and long-term care policy for older people in Canada. Journal of Aging & Social Policy32: 358–364.
8.
Berg-WegerMMorleyJE (2020) Editorial, loneliness and social isolation in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for gerontological social work. Nutrition and Healthy Aging24(5): 456–458.
9.
BrennanJReillyPCuskellK, et al. (2020) Social work, mental health, older people and COVID-19. International Psychogeriatrics32: 1205–1209.
10.
BurneyS (2008) Inductive & Deductive Research Approach. Karachi City, Pakistan: University of Karachi.
11.
CapuchaL (2014) Ageing and social policies in times of crisis. Sociology, Problems and Practices74: 113–131.
12.
CarmoHFerreiraM (1998) Research Methodology: Guide to Self-Learning. Lisbon: Open University.
13.
CarrDBoernerKMoormanS (2020) Bereavement in the time of coronavirus: Unprecedented challenges demand novel interventions. Journal of Aging & Social Policy32(4–5): 425–431.
14.
CarvalhoMI (coord.) (2020a) Social Work, Portraits of the Profession. Lisbon: Pactor.
15.
CarvalhoMI (2020b) Social work in public health emergencies, Covid-19. In: CarvalhoMI (ed.) Social Work in Catastrophe. Crisis Intervention and Social Emergency. Lisbon: Pactor, pp. 81–106.
16.
CasilimasC (1996) Investigación Cualitativa. Bogotá: Instituto Colombiano para el Fomento de la Educación Superior (ICFES).
ChhetriJKChanPAraiH, et al. (2020) Prevention of COVID-19 in older adults: A brief guidance from the International Association for Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) Asia/Oceania region. Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging24(5): 471–472.
19.
Coronini-CronbergSMaileJEMajeedA (2020) Health inequalities: The hidden cost of COVID-19 in NHS hospital trusts?Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine113(5): 179–184.
20.
CoxC (2020) Older adults and Covid 19: Social justice, disparities, and social work practice. Journal of Gerontological Social Work63(6–7): 611–624.
Directorate General for Health (DGH) (2020c) Infection by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19): Procedures for Residential Structures for the Older people (ERPI), Integrated Continued Care Units (UCCI) of the National Continued Care Network (RNCCI) and other responses dedicated to older people. Guidance No. 009/2020 from 11/03/2020 updated on 27/03/2020. Available at: https://www.dgs.pt/directrizes-da-dgs/orientacoes-e-circulares-informativas/orientacao-n-0092020-de-11032020-pdf.aspx (accessed 30 March 2020).
FratinoLProcopioGDi MaioM, et al. (2020) Coronavirus: Older people with cancer in Italy in the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Oncology10: 648. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2020.00648
28.
FreixoM (2009) Metodologia científica: fundamentos métodos e técnicas. Lisboa: Instituto Piaget.
29.
GalesL (2010) Linguistic sensitivity in cross-cultural organisational research: Positivist/post-positivist and grounded theory approaches. Language and Intercultural Communication3(2): 131–140.
30.
GarciaKRRodriguesLPereiraL, et al. (2021) Improving the digital skills of older adults in a COVID-19 pandemic environment. Educational Gerontology47(5): 196–206.
31.
HaiderIITiwanaFTahirSM (2020) Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adult mental health. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences36: S90–S94.
32.
HendersonK (2011) Post-positivism and the pragmatics of leisure research. Leisure Sciences33(4): 341–346.
LockeK (2001) Grounded Theory in Management Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
35.
MackenzieNKnipeS (2006) Research dilemmas: Paradigms, methods and methodology. Issues in Educational Research16(2): 193–205. Available at: http://www.iier.org.au/iier16/mackenzie.html
36.
MagalhãesSSAMachadoCJ (2014) Epidemiological concepts and recent pandemics: New challenges. Cadernos Saúde Coletiva22(1): 109–110.
Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security (MTSSS) (2020) Synthesis of Social Security Statistical Information. Lisbon: Office of Strategy and Planning.
40.
Office of Strategy and Planning (2020) Social Charter. Lisbon: Institute of Social Security.
41.
O’LearyPTsuiMS (2020) Ten gentle reminders to social workers in the pandemic. International Social Work63(3): 273–274.
42.
OrnellasAEngelbrechtLAtamtürkE (2020) The fourfold neoliberal impact on social work and why these matters in times of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk56(3): 1.
43.
PaulTJde BruinMTaylorTA (2020) Recasting social workers as frontline in a socially accountable COVID-19 response. International Social Work63: 786–789.
44.
PeláezALMarcuello-ServósCCastillodeMesaJ, et al. (2020) The more you know, the less you fear: Reflexive social work practices in times of COVID-19. International Social Work63(6): 746–752.
45.
PentarisPWillisPRayM, et al. (2020) Older people in the context of COVID-19: A European perspective. Journal of Gerontological Social Work63(8): 736–742.
46.
PentiniAALorenzW (2020) The Corona crisis and the erosion of ‘the social’ – Giving a decisive voice to the social professions. European Journal of Social Work23(4): 543–553.
47.
Portuguese Republic (2020a) Decree n.º 2-B/2020 – Diário da República n.º 66/2020, 2nd Supplement, Series I of 2020-04-02, Presidency of the Council of Ministers, regulates the extension of the state of emergency decreed by the President of the Republic. Available at: https://dre.pt/dre/detalhe/decreto/2-b-2020-131068124
48.
Portuguese Republic (2020b) Order no. 2836-A/2020. Orders public employers to draw up a contingency plan in line with the guidelines issued by the Directorate-General for Health, in the context of the prevention and control of infection by new Coronavirus (COVID-19). Available at: https://dre.pt/application/conteudo/129793730 (accessed 25 March 2020).
SeifertA (2021) Older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic – Forgotten and stigmatized?International Social Work64(2): 275–278.
53.
VillarrealPA (2016) Pandemic declarations of the World Health Organization as an exercise of international public authority: The possible legal answers to frictions between legitimacies. Goettingen Journal of International Law7(1): 95–129.
54.
Walter-McCabeAH (2020) Coronavirus pandemic calls for an immediate social work response. Social Work in Public Health35(3): 69–72.
55.
WangYGaoQChengZ, et al. (2021) Creating solace and hope during COVID-19: An innovative Internet-based social work intervention. International Social Work64(2): 251–254.
