Les territoires ruraux de l’est du Québec à l’épreuve de la Covid19. Marginalisation et exclusion sociales des personnes aînées ?

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the elderly have been identified as being among the most at risk of developing complications in case of contamination by the Covid-19 virus. In Quebec, as in many parts of the world, specific measures have been put in place to protect them, focusing on limiting physical and social contacts, with repercussions on their social and psychological well-being. In this article, we are particularly interested in the situation experienced by seniors in rural areas and seek to highlight the socio-territorial effects of this health crisis on the elderly by identifying, on the one hand, the deleterious effects that accentuate their vulnerability and, on the other hand, the protective and supportive measures that enable seniors to cope with this pandemic. Based on a qualitative analysis, our article highlights several possible approaches to the complex relationship between crisis, aging and territory, taking into consideration simultaneously the feeling of belonging, access to resources and services, solidarity, and the participation of people in the dynamics of their living environment. While several factors, such as geographic characteristics, community and family solidarity, and volunteer involvement, made the lives of seniors easier during the pandemic, 3 others made them more vulnerable. Among them, the feeling of a gap between the measures taken and the reality experienced, the reinforcement of difficulties in accessing care and services as well as the weakening of the operations of the territories due to the massive loss of volunteers aged 70 and over, forced to limit their activities.