Open AccessLimited Technology Access Among Residents of Affordable Senior Housing During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Author(s) -
Alejandra Ellison-Barnes,
Alyssa J. Moran,
Sabriya L. Linton,
Manotri Chaubal,
Michelle Missler,
Craig Evan Pollack
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of applied gerontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.857
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1552-4523
pISSN - 0733-4648
DOI - 10.1177/07334648211013634
Subject(s) - business , internet access , affordable housing , quarter (canadian coin) , pandemic , the internet , telehealth , service (business) , psychological intervention , telemedicine , population , phone , covid-19 , medicine , economic growth , environmental health , marketing , nursing , health care , geography , philosophy , linguistics , archaeology , pathology , world wide web , computer science , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics
While U.S. adults living in affordable senior housing represent a vulnerable population during the COVID-19 pandemic, affordable housing may provide a foundation for interventions designed to improve technology access to support health. To better understand technology access among residents of affordable senior housing, we surveyed members of a national association of resident service coordinators to assess their experiences working with residents during the pandemic ( n = 1,440). While nearly all service coordinators report that most or all residents have reliable phone access, under a quarter report that most or all have reliable internet access; they also report limited access to technology for video calls. Lack of internet access and technology literacy are perceived as barriers to medical visits and food procurement for low-income older adult residents of affordable housing. Policies to expand internet access as well as training and support to enable use of online services are required to overcome these barriers.