How Can We Make Our Post Pandemic World More Inclusive to Older Adults?
Almost a year into the covid-19 pandemic, vaccines are being distributed, and it’s possible that life will return to a new normal in 2021. Over the past few months, some of the things we’ve taken for granted; air travel, family dinners, going to the theatre, sharing a drink with a friend – have been absent from our lives. We’ve sacrificed a lot to keep our loved ones safe and to stop the spread of the pandemic. Will we simply revert back to our old ways, or will we take this opportunity to rethink some of them, and try to build a society that’s more age-inclusive, going forward?
Make our elders a priority
The pandemic has thrusted our elders into the spotlight. Older adults, whether they were aging in place, or living in long term care facilities, were much more vulnerable to covid19 than the younger population. After months of sheltering in place, it became clear that while this practice saved the lives of many, it had also exacerbated social isolation and loneliness, which were already major issues for the aging population prior to the pandemic. Setting aside the public debate about the pros and cons of restricting visitations to nursing homes, the mere fact that this public discussion rose marks a positive change. It means that as a society, we decided to make our elders a priority, and this is definitely something we should keep for the post pandemic world.
Going forward, we should do
more of this
and less of this
Make Urban environments age friendly *for real*
55% of humanity currently lives in urban environments, and while age friendly cities have been a trending topic over the past few years, few cities have been proactive about implementing the WHO’s guidelines and best practices. By not prioritizing pedestrians, some cities have become downright dangerous for older adults, and in recent years, we’ve witnessed the rise of a new threat to pedestrian safety: e-scooters. In many cities, sidewalks have turned into a battleground, and older pedestrians were losing their lives or suffering severe injuries.
The sheer number of scooters laying around and passing by at high speed have created a chaotic public surrounding that’s hostile to anyone who isn’t able to dodge obstacles at the bat of an eyelash.
Over the past year, with fewer people commuting, many of those e-scooters were collected by the companies that operate them voluntarily, allowing older pedestrians to use the sidewalks fear-free again. Policymakers should use this temporary hiatus as a chance to reclaim public spaces, and prioritize older pedestrians over motorized vehicles.
Going forward, we should do
more of this
and less of this
Make “age inclusive” part of everyone’s vocabulary
A lot has been said and written about age inclusion in the workforce and in technology design.
However, it seems that in recent years, product design has actually gotten worse. Don Norman, former Apple VP and the director of the Design Lab in the University of California, San Diego, wrote the book The Design of Everyday Things. He is horrified with today’s design flaws.
“Once Apple products could be used without ever reading a manual. Today, Apple’s products violate all the fundamental rules of design for understanding and usability… As a result, even a manual is not enough: all the arbitrary gestures that control tablets, phones, and computers have to be memorized. Everything has to be memorized.”
It is obvious that age inclusive design, whether it is in tech or in public spaces, benefits everyone, so why is it so rare?
Going forward, we should do
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and less of this
Invest in infrastructure
It’s no secret that people who live in rural areas have limited access to internet broadband. In the U.S., that’s nearly 40 million households. During normal times, this digital divide between rural and urban areas has economic implications, as well as an effect on people’s personal lives. During a pandemic, when people rely on internet connectivity for anything from social connections to working remotely to ordering groceries – this chasm affects almost every aspect of everyday life of older adults living in rural areas.
Way back in 2019, the USDA decided to invest $550M to connect rural America, and in 2020 reported to have connected just under half a million people in 34 states.
If we want every older adult to have the opportunity to stay connected, despite mobility constraints and/or lockdowns, broadband infrastructure is a basic requirement.
Going forward, we should do more of this:
Invest in digital literacy
While broadband infrastructure is a basic requirement, many older adults who had internet available at home at the start of the pandemic realized they lacked the right devices or the knowledge on how to use them. Organizations like Senior Planet and little brothers taught digital skills to older adults in-person before covid19, and now have a plethora of online resources. Senior planet even has a hotline for tech questions. During the pandemic, there were numerous initiatives that provided computers, smartphones, tablets and smart speakers to older adults who needed them to stay connected.
Going forward, we should do more of this:
Our society has come a long way in making older adults a priority and in making sure their needs (physical as well as emotional) are met during this time of global crisis. We still have a long way to go, and I believe we can, and should, use this jolt our lives have gotten, to mold the new normal in a way that’s more age-inclusive, which will benefit everyone.
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