ABSTRACT
Older adults have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led many to isolate during this time. Technology enables people to remain connected, however little is known about how older adults have used technology and the impact it has had on their mental health and connectedness. This study was to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced older adult mental health and social connectedness, with a particular emphasis on how technology has played a role. One-on-one interviews (N=29) were conducted with adults aged 65+ (Mean age=71.5;86% female) via phone/Zoom. Participants were asked open-ended questions about the impact social distancing has had on their quality of life, health, and social connectedness as well as their technology use to remain connected. Findings highlight the mental health stressors experienced by older adults during the pandemic, as well as much resiliency and innovation. In speaking of the isolation and its effect on her mental health, one participant said, “I thought fighting cancer was bad, but this is worse.” Nearly all of the participants had used technology in some form to remain connected to others, which the most common being a smart phone to call, text, and video-interface. One participant commented, “You can’t beat an iPhone. How in the world could we ever live without an iPhone?” Many participants had learned a new technology during the pandemic, such as Zoom. Our findings raise the possibility that technology may be a good strategy for enhancing well-being of aging population amid the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Older adults living with HIV/AIDS (OALWHA) in rural areas of the U.S. are a highly marginalized community. Intersectional stigma related to age, HIV status, geography, sexual orientation, gender identity, and race oftentimes create a complex lived experience for this population group. While there is a significant need for qualitative research that highlights the intersecting stigmas experienced by OALWHA in rural areas, recruitment challenges exist. Fear of being outed in their rural communities, due to their HIV status and LGBTQ+ identities, makes many OALWHA reluctant to participate in research. However, there is much resiliency in the population as well, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, as research approaches have pivoted to phone/virtual data collection during the pandemic, this can help promote anonymity among this population group. This presentation will detail methodological considerations for recruitment, data collection, and analysis for qualitative research with OALWHA in rural areas of the U.S.
ABSTRACT
Risk of severe COVID-19 illness increases with age, and older adults are more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID-19 and related complications as compared to their younger counterparts. This reality, combined with pandemic-related lockdown and social distancing policies, has increased in-home isolation for older adults. This includes cancelling in-person healthcare appointments and conducting many appointments via tele-health. As older adults have had to quickly pivot to learning new technologies, little is known about their experiences with navigating virtual healthcare during the pandemic. Therefore, this qualitative study aims to address that gap. One-on-one interviews (N=29) were conducted with older adults (Mean age=71.5;86% female) via phone/Zoom. Participants were asked about their healthcare experiences during the pandemic and the role technology played. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed using Nvivo12 software. Findings demonstrate that participants used technology to schedule medical appointments, engage in virtual visits with their providers, set reminders to take medications, and undertake their daily exercise routine. Post-lockdown, some participants preferred in-person visits due to the nature of their diagnosis, personal preference, or unfamiliarity with the needed technology. Older adults encountered challenges including cancelled appointments, miscommunication with providers, and lack of skill to use technologies. Cancellation of appointments and postponement of treatments affected the health of some of the participants. Implications of this research can inform tele-health approaches with older patients, as well as provider communication and coordination of care. Leveraging technology for preventative health approaches can also assist older adults in ongoing health maintenance and promote well-being.