Little is known about the overall experiences and feelings of diverse older populations during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. To provide the baseline information for future research and policy, this study analyzed the 2020 Health and Retirement Study COVID-19 project data ( n = 1782). More than 70% of older adults reported the following activities: watching TV (98%), reading (90%), using a computer and the internet (83%), gardening (82%), walking (75%), baking and cooking (73%), and praying (73%). Volunteering and attending community groups, which are known to benefit well-being, were unpopular (less than 8%). During the pandemic, older adults were generally satisfied with their lives, but more than half of them were concerned about their own health, family’s health, and future prospects. Our study also showed the differences in the experiences and feelings by gender and race as well as the intersection of gender and race in the United States.

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As people age, they find themselves living similar lives to those around them. This concept is often referred to as linked lives. Linked lives explains that individual lives are often interdependent. This is due to various elements such as social and historical influences. These influences can imprint networks of shared relationships. Researchers have found that the first point of socialization as humans are social relationships with family and friends. However, while the connections of linked lives are often attributed to early life course trajectories, little research has evaluated the interdependency that is created with disabilities in later life. Life course disability research is a key factor of gerontology because a majority of older adults encounter disabilities within later life. This attributed disability can often forge bound and interdependence within people and their own social networks. This paper theoretically examines different perspectives of disabilities research and how it relates to the fundamental principles of linked lives. This paper highlights the gap in the current gerontological understanding of the later life links among older adults with disabilities. This theory paper provides the needed information for gerontologist focusing on older people with disabilities to be able to evaluate allocations needed for providing adequate social support and services tailored towards the needs of these interdependent lives.