Adaptability of Older Adults at the Onset of COVID-19

It is important to understand the unique experiences and perspectives of older adults who were required to incorporate critical adaptive behaviors during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. An anonymous, cross-sectional survey was administered online through Qualtrics Survey Software in June 2020 to 1405 adults between the ages of 18 and 86. Differences in adaptability between older adults and young/middle-aged adults were analyzed. This study found that older adults (n = 132) utilized different sources of information than young/middle-aged adults; they were more likely to read the newspaper or listen to the radio, and less likely to rely on social media for information. Older respondents in this study reported coping with the COVID-19 outbreak better than young/middle-aged respondents, were less likely to report that they were personally affected by the virus, and were less likely to feel overwhelmed by the amount of information about COVID-19. The findings of this study highlight adaptability and resilience in older adults not found in young/middle-aged adults and provide an important step in identifying policy and practice suggestions to reduce negative repercussions for older adults experiencing the current crisis, as well as future generations of older adults who might experience similar events.