Area Agencies on Aging Provide Crucial Support for Older New Yorkers During COVID-19

This research brief discusses how Area Agencies on Aging are providing crucial support for older NewYorkers during COVID-19

Aging-in-Place Organizations are Key to Building Disaster Resilience for Older Adults

COVID-19 has tragically demonstrated the serious threat that pandemics and other disasters pose to older adults’ health, safety, and well-being. What role can senior centers and senior villages play in protecting older adults’ health and building their resilience during COVID-19 and other disasters

Tips for Communicating with Older Adults about COVID-19

Given the severe health risks coronavirus presents for older adults, it is critical to effectively communicate the risk. This brief describes strategies on how to effectively communicate with this population while keeping their comfort and safety in mind

Health is Political: Public Health Practitioners and Researchers Should be Trained Accordingly

Policy has long been considered a core element of public health practice. The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that public health practice and research exist within a political context that cannot be ignored

New York State’s Population is Aging: Will Communities Be Ready?

The population is aging nation-wide, and New York State is no exception. 3.2 million New Yorkers (nearly one in six), are aged 65 and older, and the older adult population is growing faster than any other group in the state. This issue brief explains what it means to “age in place” and how New York State is responding to the large increase in older adults state wide

Staying Safe and Healthy During Coronavirus Response: A Guide for Older Adults

This issue brief thoroughly addresses how older adults can best protect their physical and mental health against the evolving circumstances surrounding COVID-19

Socio-Spatial Disparities in County-Level Availability of Aging and Disability Services Organizations

Aging and disability services are essential for supporting older adults in living independently in their homes and communities as they age. Applying theoretical perspectives of community gerontology and spatial inequality, we use county-level data (N=3142) from the National Neighborhood Data Archive (NaNDA) and the American Community Survey to explore if and how availability of aging and disability services organizations varies across the rural-urban continuum and across compositional characteristics of counties. Results show that rural counties are significantly more likely to be aging and disability services deserts. Stratified models show that poverty rates and relative shares of non-Hispanic Blacks are positively associated with greater odds of aging and disability services deserts across rural and urban counties, but divergent findings appear for county-level shares of Hispanics. These findings are discussed as well as implications for research, policy, and practice on equitable access to aging and disability services

Building Back Healthier: The Role of Public Health in State Disaster Recovery Law

When communities are impacted by disasters, state officials must implement efficient and competent recovery strategies with the health and wellbeing of residents in mind. This research brief summarizes findings from a peer-reviewed study showing that few U.S. states explicitly integrate public health into their disaster recovery laws, and the types of public health requirements and authorizations vary substantially across states

New York State’s Older Adults in Assisted Living Facilities Need All of Us to Help Them Avoid the Coronavirus

Older adults in assisted living facilities are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus because of how quickly it can spread in close-knit settings. This data slice aims to advocate for the health and safety of older adults and features an interactive map showing the saturation of assisted living facilities in New York State

Most Home-Delivered Meal Recipients with Dementia Receive Support from Friends and Family, but More Social Activity is Needed

Home-delivered meal programs reduce hunger and food insecurity, promote socialization, and improve health and wellbeing for older adults. Regular social support from home-delivered meal drivers, alongside social support from friends and family, may be key to preventing isolation and improving health for older adults with dementia. This research brief shows that home-delivered meal recipients with dementia receive significant support from friends and family, but 83% would like more social activity. To better support older adults with dementia and family caregivers, aging services providers should expand virtual and dementia-friendly social engagement programming