Losing a Generation: The Impact of COVID-19 on Older Americans

As COVID-19 is killing untold numbers of older adults around the world, it is important to reflect on the loss of this generation. Approximately eight in 10 deaths were in people aged ≥65 years. This is a devastating loss to our society-losses that will last long after the pandemic has run its course. Lock-downs and visitor restrictions that were meant to protect older adults created an isolation that often led to declining health. Ageist stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination are internalized by older adults as they face being devalued and viewed as a burden. Reflecting on what has been lost with the deaths of so many from this older generation can spur us to think about how society failed to protect them and to find ways to move beyond the stigma attached to being old. We have much to learn from this generation. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 59(4), 9-12.].