Health Affairs Blog: Under The Radar - Affordable Senior Housing Communities Need Support To Fight COVID-19
Health Affairs has published a blog, "Under The Radar: Affordable Senior Housing Communities Need Support To Fight COVID-19."
"While focusing on nursing homes is important, we cannot forget another high-risk location that seems to be flying under public health’s radar: publicly subsidized senior housing communities," where approximately two million older adults live, the article notes. These residents "are facing triple jeopardy during this public health crisis," they are older, have low incomes and experience health disparities.
Special challenges many subsidized senior housing communities say that they are facing are outlined, and an initiative in Massachusetts providing information and support to affordable senior housing providers is discussed. Four reforms for policymakers are detailed as critical:
- Identify hotspots
- Keep housing communities informed
- Offer assistance with sanitizing
- Increase internet access
The article comments that the "COVID-19 pandemic has simply magnified the failure of our public health system to recognize and address the risks faced by these individuals and their communities." It points to a JAHF-supported Age-Friendly Public Health partnership "designed to bring public health departments and aging service providers together in select communities," and says that, "There will be many lessons to learn from this disaster. We hope those lessons will help point the way toward future partnerships and action to ensure that all older adults can age successfully in their communities."
To read the blog, click here.
