Local Government Efforts to Mitigate the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic among Older Adults

ABSTRACT

As the coronavirus crisis spreads swiftly through the population, it takes a particularly heavy toll on minority individuals and older adults, with older minority adults at especially high risk. Given the shockingly high rates of infections and deaths in nursing homes, staying in the community appears to be a good option for older adults in this crisis, but in order for some older adults to do so much assistance is required. This situation draws attention to the need for benevolent intervention on the part of the state should older adults become ill or lose their sources of income and support during the crisis. This essay provides a brief overview of public support and the financial and health benefits for older individuals who remain in the community during the pandemic. It reports the case example of Austin, Texas, a city with a rapidly aging and diverse population of almost a million residents, to ask how we can assess the success of municipalities in responding to the changing needs of older adults in the community due to COVID-19. It concludes with a discussion of what governmental and non-governmental leadership can accomplish in situations such as that brought about by the current crisis.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• live alone
• diversity
• aging in place
• public leadership
• civil society organizations (CSO)

Key points

• Helping older adults age safely in the community is far more important than ever in viral pandemic.

• Living alone is more common in municipalities that have generous old-age social support.

• Effective response to COVID-19 requires coordination among the local polity and private and not-for-profit organizations.

• COVID-19 presents fiscal and administrative challenges to sustaining livable communities for older residents who face the greatest barriers to sheltering in place.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.