Older Adults’ Experiences Moving Community Online in Independent Living During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In this paper, we explore older adults’ experiences moving daily social activities online in a senior independent living community during the early stages (March 2020–June 2020) of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States. We present findings of a semi-structured interview study with eight older adult residents where we discuss their needs and how they used technology to support and adapt during the phase of required physical distancing. Our findings suggest that participants felt well supported by their organization and community, and found information and communication technologies (ICTs) that were useful for supporting the transition. However, some participants felt that they did face challenges and the ability to adapt may have been influenced by technology access and residents’ prior established ties within the community. Based on our findings, we reflect on how we might better support older adults living in community settings in future crisis.