This study explored older adults’ technology use patterns and attitudes toward virtual volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 22-item survey was administered to 229 volunteers in the St. Louis region who tutor children through the Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring program. Although most respondents are familiar with technology and expressed that they are likely to volunteer virtually, their responses varied significantly by age, education, gender, income, and school districts. Some tutors expressed that virtual volunteering may eliminate barriers to in-person volunteering, while others were concerned with establishing a personal connection with students online. These findings suggest that tutors anticipate both benefits and challenges with virtual volunteering and that efforts to engage older adults during the pandemic should factor in prior use of technology and ensure that different subgroups are not marginalized.

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This study, launched in June 2020, documents the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Villages nationally. Villages are non-profit, membership-based organizations that provide support from volunteers and social connections to enable aging in place. We distributed on-line surveys to the leaders of the 287 Villages in the national network to capture the effects of the pandemic on organizational operations, membership recruitment, service provision, and member well-being. A 40% response rate (n=116) was obtained. A majority of Villages reported that the pandemic greatly affected the organization, with the top concerns being: 1) membership recruitment, 2) the health and well-being of members and volunteers and 3) connecting with their members outside of normal in-person events. Over half of the respondents reported that the mental health of members had declined; and there were high levels of disruption to usual health care. New member recruitment efforts were thwarted and most Villages lost revenue. About 70% offered virtual programming but, in general, participation in these on-line events dropped. From the survey respondents’ perspective, the value of the Village to members and their family increased (48%) or remained the same (22%). New opportunities emerged that may be continued post-pandemic: new meal and medicine delivery volunteer services, more on-line communication and telephone reassurance, and new family and community connections. Findings indicate a wide range of experiences during the pandemic, with variation stemming from age of the Village and size of membership. The study informs the sustainability and growth efforts of Villages during and after the pandemic.

“Deaths of despair” (DOD) is a new phenomenon that includes deaths attributable to suicides, drug overdoses, and alcohol-related liver diseases. While many studies have focused on the rise of DOD in midlife, there is little research that focuses on the trends of DOD in later life. To address this gap, we used publicly available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to carry out descriptive and spatial analyses of DOD among older adults (aged 65 and over) from 1999 to 2018. Nationwide, we found that DOD rates of older adults increased from 2009 (44.7 deaths per 100,000) to 2018 (57.4). This increase was notable among male older adults who were Black non-Hispanics and White non-Hispanics (WNH); however, Hispanic populations saw a 4.8% decrease in DOD between 1999 and 2018. Of the WNH decedents in 2018, alcohol-related liver diseases were the most common cause of death (55%), followed by suicides (36%) and drug overdoses (9%). Additionally, 55% had a high school degree or less, 22% had some college but no bachelor’s degree (BA), and 22% had a BA or more. Geographically, we found that DOD was concentrated in the West in 1999 but has since then spread nationwide. In 2018, the highest rates of DOD among WNH were in the western and southern states. These findings suggest that attention to deaths of despair cannot be limited to midlife; policies and program interventions aimed at slowing this epidemic must include people in later life as well.