The Role of Trust in Older Adult Service Provision at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

TitleThe Role of Trust in Older Adult Service Provision at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2023
AuthorsTurner, NR, Freitag, C, Johnson, I, Parsey, CM, Ramirez, M, Berridge, C
JournalJ Gerontol Soc Work
Volume66
Issue6
Pagination739-762
Date Published2023 Aug-Sep
ISSN1540-4048
Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused near immediate service delivery adaptation among social service and healthcare sectors. Findings from in-depth interviews with 45 senior leaders of social services and healthcare organizations serving older adults in Washington State elucidate the role of trust in service provision at the onset of the pandemic. First, a history of trust facilitated service adaptation. Intentional outreach, programs, and culturally responsive services sustained trust with service recipients. Providing services and information in an older adult's preferred language built trust. Community networks facilitated and reflected trust between organizations and older adults. Finally, mistrust was prevalent for clients who perceived a high risk of experiencing negative consequences from accessing services. Our findings support the need for culturally and linguistically diverse services. To improve trust, the aging network should strengthen and expand partnerships with community-based organizations who have established trust through history, intentionality, and relevance to their service populations..

DOI10.1080/01634372.2022.2164821
Alternate JournalJ Gerontol Soc Work
PubMed ID36617864
PubMed Central IDPMC10329095
Grant ListK01 AG062681 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States