COVID in Context: The Lived Experience of Richmond's Low-Income Older Adults.

Taking a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study describes the lived experiences of low-income older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A socio-ecological model was used to organize the five identified themes describing the lived experience: socio-economic context, Black Lives Matter and the politics of race, COVID and polarized views of COVID, interpersonal context (social connections), and individual context (feelings, beliefs, and behaviors). Study findings illustrate the intersectionality of contextual influences on the experience of low-income older adults. Study participants demonstrated remarkable resilience and coping strategies developed in response to the challenges they experienced throughout their lifetime which benefited them when faced with the pandemic, social unrest, and political events that took place in 2020. This study highlights the importance of understanding the larger context of COVID-19 which has significant implications for policy makers and public health leaders.

Socioeconomic Effects on Psychosocial Factors Among Low-Income Older Adults.

OBJECTIVES: Older adults have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The primary goal of this study is to determine the socioeconomic effects on psychosocial factors among low-income independent-living older adults, in an urban setting, during the COVID-pandemic. METHODS: Participants were recruited through Virginia Commonwealth University's Richmond Health and Wellness Program. Telephone surveys (n=100) were conducted using the Epidemic - Pandemic Impacts Inventory Geriatric with the Racial/Ethnic Discrimination addendum. Responses were analyzed for income and education effects across seven domains: home life, social activities/isolation, economic, emotional health-wellbeing, physical health, COVID-infection history, and positive change behaviors/experiences. RESULTS: The sample population was between 51 and 87 years of age, 88% were Black, 57% reported incomes of $10,000/year or less, and 60% reported a high-school education or less. There were income effects for social activities/isolation (f = 3.69, p<.05) and positive change (f = 8.40, p<.01), and education effects for COVID History (f = 4.20, p <.04). DISCUSSION: Overall results highlight the social patterns for a diverse sample of low-income urban older adults; education and income are identified as risk factors for social losses, COVID-infection experiences, racial/ethnic discrimination during the COVID-pandemic, and positive change behaviors.