Factors Affecting Delay in Use of Health Services among American Older Adults During the Early Stage of COVID-19

Abstract

For the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on vulnerable older Americans. In addition to illness and even death due to infection and complications, COVID-19 has left many of the general medical requirements of older adults unmet. This thesis used the latest COVID-19 project data and data from the long-term follow-up of Americans aged 50 and older released by the Health Retirement Study to analyze the relationship between delays in use of health services and characteristics of older adults. Some factors found to be associated with delay were similar to existing findings in non-elderly adults (e.g., decreased in income, higher education attainment, female gender, and depression). Other factors, such as age and insurance status, were less consistent with past studies; delays were less likely among adults age 75 and older; and being insured or uninsured was not associated with the likelihood of delay. Factors related to older adults’ access to care need to be taken into account to ensure that the needs of older adults can be met in a future epidemic or health disaster, thus diminishing the adverse impact of these events on their quality of life.