Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Leann Stadtlander

Abstract

The growing older population confronting the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic have a story to tell of their experiences that may influence the way society confronts future pandemics. Little research has been done on older adults in independent living communities and their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to fill that gap using the biopsychosocial model as a framework to guide the exploration of the research question addressing the lived experiences of older, independent residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a basic qualitative analysis design, a purposive sample of 10 participants from a continuing care retirement community were recruited by flyer for telephone interviews. Participant inclusion criteria were they must be 65 years old or older, lived at the facility since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, display no self-reported cognitive disability, and be fluent in English. The interview questions were developed from the literature review, theoretical framework, and pilot tests. Each interview was transcribed verbatim, coded in vivo, and sorted by codes before being analyzed thematically. Results indicated that participants were resilient and grateful while at the same time suffering from loneliness and grief. A surprising result was that the majority of participants responded in the negative to questions about depression and anxiety, known as the positivity effect. The implications for positive social change are twofold; the findings can be used (a) for the prospective development of marketing applications in health that take advantage of the positivity effect evidenced by older adults and (b) to develop a greater understanding of the older adult and improve communication with this cohort.

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