Amid Pandemic, Fears That Older Americans Are Feeling 'Expendable'

Experts are worried that older Americans are feeling "expendable" amid the coronavirus crisis due to ageism and other factors, reports Medical Xpress . York University Professor Gordon Flett cited "horror stories" around the world about the pandemic's impact on older people — especially in Spain, where staff in certain care communities abandoned residents, while communities in Lima, Peru, halted admissions of older people because their likelihood of survival was lower. Meanwhile, ageist messages have spread with claims that most COVID-19 fatalities are "only" among the older population, and that restarting the economy is prioritized. In a research review in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction , Flett suggested that "mattering" has protective benefits on top of things like "belonging" to a group. Studies have associated older adults' sense of mattering to reduced odds of depression and loneliness, and to better physical well-being. Flett said when people feel valued, they may be encouraged to take better care of themselves. He added that family, friends, and neighbors can help by reaching out.