Restoring and Improving Senior Citizens' Trust in Water Safety in Flint, Michigan

Trust can be defined as a belief in truth, hope, or simply the idea that a person or group has the best interest or ability of the next party. During the Flint, Michigan, water crisis, trust significantly impacted how a person or group perceived the person deemed dependable when decisions made impacted their life. The purpose of this study was to explore senior citizens' experiences and perceptions and make recommendations for restoring the public's confidence in water safety in Flint, Michigan, which has been fragmented within the minority senior community. A qualitative case study was designed by using interviews to collect data from 10 senior citizen participants of the population in the targeted region and allowed for a one-on-one engagement, which was relevant in acquiring detailed data concerning the issue to explore the senior citizens' trust in water safety. The conceptual framework on policy decisions and social changes that affect water processing was used to answer how senior citizens' trust in safe water consumption can be restored. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes and subthemes for the study. The study’s analysis revealed that a lack of infrastructure equipment, regular water consumption, and transparency and accountability from the government are causing a lack of trust in water consumption. A recommendation is to evaluate current laws to include more stringent standards pertaining to water quality, which can ensure the safety of drinking water, thereby restoring the senior citizens' trust.