Living Through the COVID-19 Pandemic: Community-Dwelling Older Adults’ Experiences

Abstract

ABSTRACT Increasing research is investigating the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on older adults, but relatively little is known about the complexities of community-dwelling older adults’ lived experiences during this historical period. This study aimed to address this gap in the literature by taking a bottom-up, theory-generating, inductive approach. Older adults living in Central Texas (N = 200; age, 65–92 years, M = 73.6 ± 6.33) responded to a telephone interview during June–August 2020. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. We identified three key themes: positive, mixed, and negative experiences, with a total of 11 subthemes. A thematic map was developed, illustrating potential connections to mental health. These findings reveal the complexities of older adults’ lived experiences during COVID-19 and have implications for developing aging-related policies and community-based interventions during future public health crises. Recognizing the complexities of older adults’ lived experiences, tailored policies and interventions can be developed to effectively leverage older adults’ effective coping and resilience while at the same time helping overcome negative effects among specific subgroups.