The Role of Community Health Workers in the Health and Well-Being of Vulnerable Older Adults during the COVID Pandemic

Matthew Hodges; Dawn Butler; Ariel Spaulding; Debra K Litzelman

doi:10.3390/ijerph20042766

The Role of Community Health Workers in the Health and Well-Being of Vulnerable Older Adults during the COVID Pandemic

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 4;20(4):2766. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20042766.

Authors

Matthew Hodges^{1

2}, Dawn Butler¹, Ariel Spaulding², Debra K Litzelman^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
² Regenstrief Institute, Inc., Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
³ Indiana University Health Physicians, Indianapolis, IN 46204, USA.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted social support networks as well as resource access for participants. The purpose of this study was to: analyze the experiences of older adults enrolled in a geriatric-focused community health worker (CHW) support program, to gain a better understanding of how CHWs might enhance care delivery, and to further understand how COVID-19 affected the social and emotional needs and well-being of older adults during the first 18 months of the pandemic. Qualitative analysis was performed on notes entered by CHWs based on 793 telephone encounters with 358 participants between March 2020 and August 2021. Analysis was performed by two reviewers independently coding the data. Weighing the benefits of seeing family against the risks of COVID exposure was a source of emotional distress for participants. Our qualitative analysis suggests that CHWs were effective in providing emotional support and connecting participants to resources. CHWs are capable of bolstering the support networks of older adults and carrying out some of the responsibilities conventionally fulfilled by family supports. CHWs addressed participant needs that are frequently unmet by healthcare team members and provided emotional support to participants contributing to health and well-being. CHW assistance can fill gaps in support left by the healthcare system and family support structures.

Keywords: community health worker; emotional support; health promotion; older adults; social determinants of health; social needs; wellness.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
COVID-19*
Community Health Workers / psychology
Delivery of Health Care
Humans
Pandemics*
Qualitative Research

Grants and funding

This project was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U1QHP28719 and the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program, with a total award of USD 3,164,256.00 over a 5-year period. For the record, this information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by the HRSA, the HHS, or the U.S. Government.