Untapped Insight: A Longitudinal Qualitative Analysis of Older Adults’ Advice During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background and Objectives Due to a lifetime of experience, older adults are uniquely positioned to contribute advice and insight to others during a historical, societal crisis such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This qualitative study explores the solicited advice older adults offered their peers, family members, and communities throughout the first year of the pandemic. Research Design and Methods A sample of 72 older adults aged 70-97 from Minnesota and North Dakota were asked what advice they would provide to others in June 2020 and again in April/May 2021. Participants were asked to provide advice on individual coping and how community members should support older adults during the pandemic, as well as how others should adjust after the pandemic. Responses were coded and developed into overarching themes. Findings Older adults advised others during the pandemic to foster mental and physical well-being, develop positive life perspectives, and connect to others as strategies to cope through the pandemic. Participants advised that after the pandemic people should remain vigilant, return to normal, and emerge as better people. Advice targeted to meeting the needs of older adults during the pandemic included: adopt selfless attitudes, take intentional actions, and maintain balance. A longitudinal approach revealed that advice remained consistent over time, despite the circumstances caused by COVID-19 changing. Discussion and Implications Findings suggest that older adults utilize their life experiences and coping strategies as sources for drawing advice. These findings also suggest that older adults are sources of insight during crises. Future research should investigate additional advice older adults can offer and how willingly communities listen. Applied work should give older adults opportunities to provide far-reaching advice as well as develop interventions aimed at decreasing ageist perceptions of older adults in times of crisis.

Older adults’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative systematic literature review

“…At the cut-off point of our search strategy, no longitudinal studies had been found. However, in December 2022 a longitudinal study conducted in the USA explored older adult’s advice given to others [ 99 ]. They found that fostering and maintaining well-being, having a positive life perspective, and being connected to others were coping strategies during the pandemic [ 100 ].…”

Lacking family ties during COVID‐19: A longitudinal, small‐scale qualitative analysis of fictive kin in older adulthood

“…Thus, older adults who were already isolated may have been at increased risk for the exacerbating effects of mental health issues, and, as suggested by our study, had less ability to supplement coping with the expansion of their social networks. Additionally, older adults who did not want to burden their social connections during the pandemic (e.g., van Vleet et al, 2022), or had a more isolationist personality, may have been unable or unwilling to form closer relationships with close others. Importantly, younger individuals also struggled with mental health during the pandemic (e.g., Blendermann et al, 2023;Panchal et al, 2021), many of whom were separated from extended family networks (e.g., Loades et al, 2020).…”

Older adults' decision‐making following bad advice

“…Given age‐related differences in advice‐seeking (Fan, 2021), the solicitation of advice is likely to represent an important avenue for future IGT and ageing research. Conversely, the provision of the advice offered by older adults deserves further attention (see Van Vleet et al., 2022). The final points to consider include that age group differences in deck preference may be clearer when comparing selections from advantageous versus disadvantageous decks.…”