Sixteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought numerous challenges to people’s lives globally. Particularly, the elderly population is faced with more challenges as they are the most susceptible to the severity and fatality of the virus, and social distancing practice puts them under immense stress. The current study aims to explore the challenges and resources of older adults during the pandemic in relation to coronavirus-induced stress, and examine the role of caregiving. A cross-sectional data from COVID-19 Supplement to the National Health and Aging Trends Study were used, and a total of 1,897 participants aged 65 or older were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Level of stress for older adults with caregiving role was positively associated with financial difficulties (β=, p<) and social distancing (β=, p<), and was negatively associated with change in the number of people who provide aid during the pandemic (β=, p<). Older adults without caregiving role were at higher risk of stress with increased financial difficulties (β=, p<) and healthcare delays (β=, p<). The results demonstrate that older adults with caregiving role could experience less stress if they could get help from more people. Whether the number of people providing help increased after the pandemic matters rather than the number of people in and of itself. As the COVID-19 pandemic is prolonged, the results of this study will contribute to a better understanding of significant resources and challenges that affect coronavirus-induced stress of older adults.