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Results of a Kaiser Family Foundation poll released this week reveal the perhaps surprising resilience of older adults during the pandemic.

Data from the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor poll, conducted March 15 to 22 via phone and online, tell a different story than the conclusions consumers of the lay press might reach from anecdotal articles. Namely, in almost all categories measured, adults aged 65 or more years reported faring better than did the younger age groups surveyed.

For instance, regarding mental health, 37% of those aged 65+ said that the pandemic has had a negative effect on them. That compares with 38% of those aged 50 to 64, 54% of those aged 30 to 49, and 67% of those aged 18 to 29.

When it comes to physical health, 28% of those aged 65+ said that the pandemic has had a negative effect on them. That compares with 37% of those aged 50 to 64, 47% of those aged 30 to 49, and 53% of those aged 18 to 29.

As far as their financial situations, 37% of those aged 65+ said that the pandemic has had a negative effect on them. That compares with 39% of those aged 50 to 64, 42% of those aged 30 to 49, and 46% of those aged 18 to 29.

Perhaps not surprisingly, since many in the age group are retired, when it comes to employment, only 17% of those aged 65+ said that the pandemic has had a negative effect on them. That compares with 23% of those aged 50 to 64, 28% of those aged 30 to 49, and 36% of those aged 18 to 29.

negative effects of pandemic

The only category in which the negative effect of the pandemic was greater for older adults than for some other age groups was in their relationships with family members, but even then, some other age groups reported being more negatively affected than older adults. Thirty-one percent of those aged 65+ said the pandemic has negatively affected their relationships with family members. That compares with 34% of those aged 50 to 64, 32% of those aged 30 to 49, and 30% of those aged 18 to 29.

To sum up, the two categories in which the most respondents aged 65 or more years reported negative effects of the pandemic were their mental health and their financial situation. And generally speaking, the younger the age group, the more its members have felt the negative effects of the pandemic.

It’s not difficult to surmise that older adults participating in the poll reported that they have been less negatively affected by the pandemic in part because they are more settled in their lives than younger people, although the researchers did not share their opinions as to why the participants may have responded to the poll the way they did. Whatever the reasons, we know that older adults, including senior living residents, experienced illness, death, social isolation and other negative effects during the pandemic. This rare public health event continues to provide lessons for operators, lawmakers and other as they take steps to help minimize any potential negative effects from future events.

Lois A. Bowers is the editor of McKnight’s Senior Living. Read her other columns here.