Survey: Older Americans’ Long View Helped in Pandemic

Turns out that being older has had a lot to do with staying resilient during the pandemic. The ability to take a longer view, to have perspective in a challenging situation, makes a big difference in being resilient. Older folks who have had a lot of experience in facing and pulling through tough times tend to have greater perspective. This matters a lot—not only in dealing with the challenges of daily life but also with the kind of uncertainty and worry we all faced over the past year.

How those age 65-and-up manage stress

A recent survey by MedicareGuide.com of 500 Americans aged 65 years old and above revealed the interesting, and effective, ways that older folks have managed anxiety and stress, and supported their well-being. Here are the top five activities they pursued during the pandemic to stay well:

• Practicing good hygiene: 55%
• Staying socially connected: 50%
• Enjoying online entertainment: 39%
• Outdoor activities: 38%
• Practicing hobbies: 34%

Other popular ways people over 65 stayed well included eating healthy foods, exercise, limiting news media exposure, maintaining good sleep hygiene, and home improvement.

Healthy adaptations oppose stereotypes

Although the World Health Organization classifies people up to age 65 as “young,” the U.S. government still considers adults over 65 to be “elderly.” After getting past the mental balancing act—am I young or am I actually elderly?—the survey data offer valuable pointers for folks of every age.

Dan Grunebaum, a data journalist for MedicareGuide.com, designed the survey. Grunebaum said in a phone interview, “We were interested in how adults and the elderly responded differently to the pandemic, in particular because the pandemic hit the elderly so much harder.”

Grunebaum said he was struck by how much use the elderly made use of technology, both to entertain themselves and to stay connected. He pointed out that although the image of older folks is that they are tech-averse, “it seems that when forced into a situation where they are isolated, a lot of them are able to adapt to technology to stay connected to family and friends.”

Despite the stereotype of technology aversion, Grunebaum said one lesson from the MedicareGuide survey results is that “elderly people are more able to adapt to technology than is commonly believed, and that more effort should be put into developing platforms or ways to encourage that.” Given that telehealth “was a big topic during the pandemic” and saw a huge increase in use, Grunebaum said it makes sense to make more use of telehealth and put more effort and resources into helping older folks use it.

Overall, Grunebaum said, “the elderly, 65+, managed better than those under 65.” One proof of this is found in the lower rate of substance abuse among elderly people than among younger folks. Only 12% of the 65+-year-olds reported drug, alcohol, or tobacco use as a “negative coping strategy” for them—compared to 17% of the general population. Grunebaum suggested this reflects “older people’s self-regulation skills.”

Unhelpful coping strategies among those 65+

Of course, not everyone in the 65+ age group consistently practiced resilience-supportive behavior. And it’s important to note that even healthy behaviors can become counterproductive, and unhealthy, when they are out of balance—as the five top negative/harmful coping strategies identified in the MedicareGuide survey demonstrate:

• Excessive screen time: 43%
• Overeating or food restrictions: 36%
• Excessive sleeping: 18%
• Compulsive online shopping: 12%
• Drug/tobacco/caffeine/alcohol use: 12%

While using Zoom, for example, to stay connected is good and healthy, it’s not healthy to spend excessive time online, or to shop compulsively. And although maintaining good sleep hygiene is important, excessive sleep can be a symptom of depression.

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Survey respondents reported other interesting ways to cope with the isolation and uncertainty of the pandemic that were either unique or simply not captured in the survey instrument. They included: playing with pets; prayer and Bible study; connecting and live-streaming with church members; reading; lighting, candles, and music; “lots of weed”; and masturbation.

We all have our own ways to get us through difficult times. But it’s fair to say that older people—simply by virtue of their having lived longer and encountered earlier difficulties—tend to have a more robust armamentarium of weapons they can deploy to counter the effects of stress and worry. Where it comes to deploying those weapons, practice may not make anything perfect, but it definitely helps in taking the long view and keeping things in perspective.