Older people’s Contributions During the COVID-19 Pandemic Response
During the COVID-19 pandemic, older people were identified as requiring additional support and protection. This multi-method qualitative study shifts this narrative by asking: how did older people contribute to the COVID-19 public health response? We conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of responses from 870 letter-writers and 44 interviewees who were older people living in Aotearoa, New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Older people made substantial contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic through: 1) volunteering; 2) nurturing; and 3) advocacy/activism. We argue that policy makers should take seriously the ways older people were providers of help and support in this period.
Authors
- Anne Koh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4822-4236)
- Lisa Williams (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0398-993X)
- Janine Wiles (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9538-4630)
- Merryn Gott (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4399-962X)
- Tess Moeke‐Maxwell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3980-3228)
- Kathryn Morgan
- Elizabeth Fanueli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1658-6435)
- Stella Black (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7781-0456)
- Tessa Morgan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4917-6149)
- Dihini Pilimatalawwe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8819-6929)
- Jing Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1913-1003)
- Hetty Goodwin
Institutions
- University of Auckland (NZ)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Aging & Social Policy
- Published
- 2024-08-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/08959420.2024.2384322
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Aging and Gerontology Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.11
Funders
- Auckland Medical Research Foundation
- Woolf Fisher Trust