Caring for an Aging Population in a Post-Pandemic World: Emerging Trends in the U.S. Older Adult Care Industry

Lu Kong (), Kejia Hu () and Matthew Walsman ()
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Lu Kong: Muma College of Business, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620
Kejia Hu: Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37203
Matthew Walsman: Rutgers Business School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854

Service Science, 2021, vol. 13, issue 4, 258-274

Abstract: This paper examines older adult care services during the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Specifically, it investigates emerging developments initiated or augmented by the pandemic and discusses their permanency in a postpandemic world. Primary survey data are collected from both older adult care-providing organizations (supply) and individuals receiving or considering care (demand) in the United States. Qualitative support from various sources supplements the surveys. The results indicate a movement toward deinstitutional care options, which began prepandemic but intensified during the outbreak. Care organizations confirm this development, reporting more occupancy-related concerns. Findings also suggest that telehealth and digital communication tools have substantially expanded. Benefits, issues, and future projections of these trends are discussed, and some suggestions for industry reform are proposed. These results illuminate many actionable ideas for various stakeholders, including older adults, industry practitioners, and policymakers.

Keywords: older adult care; COVID-19; telehealth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:orserv:v:13:y:2021:i:4:p:258-274

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