Browsing by Subject "Social Isolation"

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    Leadership Imperatives to Improve Access for Older Adults to the Meals-on-Wheels Programs in California and Florida, Post-COVID-19
    (2023-07) Powell, Naci; Stone, Cynthia; Bigatti, Silvia; Czabanowska, Kasia
    The United States is witnessing a growing aging population stemming from medical advancements allowing people to live decades longer than the previous generations. The Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA) was the first federal-level initiative providing comprehensive services for older persons. Title III-C: The Nutrition Service Program of OAA endeavors to “(i) reduce hunger and food insecurity among older individuals, (ii) promote socialization of older individuals, (iii) promote the health and well-being of older individuals, and (iv) delay adverse health conditions for older individuals. Title III-C2: the Home-delivered meals or MOWs program cannot keep up with the demands for their services and have waitlists across the U.S. This descriptive qualitative study used the multiple case study design. Two states with the highest population of older adults, California, and Florida, were examined. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via telephone, and post-reflection memos were created after each interview, along with the completion of a comprehensive document review. Interviews revealed that approximately 499 older adults in California and 22,520 older adults in Florida are waiting for access to MOWs. Kotter’s 8-Step change model was used to formulate a plan for change. This study contributes to the knowledge of the challenges faced by older adults and MOWs programs, and it also highlights how leaders responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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    The Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Youth Violence: Insights from Professional Key Informants
    (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, 2023-06-14) Aldallal, Mohamed; Omari, Deeb; Muvuka, Baraka; Ryan, Elizabeth R.
    Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had drastic effects on youth violence protective and risk factors by isolating many at risk youth. While youth violence is a growing global health problem, there are limited studies exploring youth violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lake County in Northwest Indiana presents an opportunity for youth violence research and prevention given its socio-demographic context and its limited youth violence data. This study explored the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts on youth violence and its risk and protective factors from the perspectives of professional key informants in Lake County, Indiana. Methods: This study utilized a descriptive qualitative design inspired by the constructivist grounded theory. We recruited professional key informants through purposive and snowball sampling. Data collection consisted of virtual semi-structured key informant interviews that were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis consisted of inductive thematic analysis with open line-by-line coding, focused coding in Dedoose, and theme identification. Results: A total of six key informants were interviewed, representing diverse youth-serving occupations. These interviews revealed five general themes portraying the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth violence: mental health impacts on youth; socialization of youth; youth as victims, perpetrators, or witnesses; shifting of learning environments; and parent-child relationships. Key informants observed an increase in less visible types of youth violence, underlying pandemic-induced or-exacerbated youth mental and behavioral health issues, strained parent-child relationships, and the educational marginalization of youth in underserved communities during online learning transitions. Conclusions: This study highlighted underserved youth’s vulnerability to the COVID-19 pandemic’s adverse impacts on youth violence experiences, risk, and protective factors. Our findings support the need to prioritize youth during and after crises, to utilize innovative strategies to better reach underserved youth, and to develop ethical and integrated youth violence data systems. Future research should explore youth’s lived experiences with violence throughout the pandemic.