Covid-19 Ageism: Age Discrimination in Times of the Covid-19 Pandemic.On the subjective experiences of people aged 65 and over in German-speaking Switzerland

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the question has arisen from a gerontological perspective as to what significance the intensive public discourse about the vulnerability of persons aged 65 and older and their classification as a risk group has for those affected and their perception and treatment within society. Despite initial studies on the experiences and assessments of older people since the beginning of the spread of Covid-19, there are as yet no differentiated findings on subjectively experienced age discrimination during this period among people aged 65 and older. In order to close this research gap, the Institute of Age Research (IAF) conducted a study based on a mixed-methods design using qualitative (focus group) and quantitative (standardised online survey) methods among persons aged 65 and older within the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The aim was to record the general experience of the Covid 19 pandemic, the forms and areas of subjectively experienced age discrimination and the subjective evaluation of these experiences. In addition, potential differences based on selected socio-demographic characteristics were of interest.