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Symposium

Social Research, Policy, and Practice

Senior Housings and Community for Social Connection and Health Among Low-Income Older Adults

Saturday, November 16, 2024
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PST
Location: Room 3A
CE: 1.5

The symposium aims to enhance the quality of life for low-income seniors in community-based housing in the US. The focus is on social connection, neighborhood resources, and community partnerships. Analyzing the 12-year-long national data, the first study used the synthetic difference in difference regression to compare social isolation and cognitive function in two groups of older individuals aged 70 and over. Residents in traditional housing were more likely to experience increased social isolation and decreased cognitive function than senior housing residents. Senior housing was protective, particularly for low-income older adults. A qualitative study on subsidized senior housing (SSH) in Baltimore City found some residents had a small network of connections; most were cordial but disconnected. Challenges related to aging, undesirable behaviors of others, and a desire for privacy limited social connections led to social isolation within the housing communities. Using A Geographic Information System approach, another study looked at SSH availability in New Jersey and its link to neighborhood disadvantage. SSH tends to be located in areas experiencing more significant economic deprivation, highlighting the need for government intervention to mitigate geographic disparities in SSH provision. The last study presented a case of Senior Housing Preservation-Detroit to address the displacement of older adults and improve the quality of life in senior housing. The presentation will cover COVID-19 outreach, lessons learned, milestones, and an emergency plan for Detroit's older population. Our studies provides a rigorous basis for future research to identify factors and mechanisms for healthy aging among low-income senior housing residents.

Learning Objectives:

  • After attending this session, participants will be able to learn deeper understanding of characteristics of social connection, accessibilties to community resources and strategies to build community partnerships for low-income senior housing residents' healhty aging
  • After attending this session, participants will be able to strengthen and broaden the research network among researchers on the area of senior housing and community for low-income older adults.

Presentations:

  • 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PST
    Geographic Distribution of Senior Subsidized Housing in New Jersey: Geographic Information Systems Approach

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Takashi Amano, PhD, MSW (he/him/his) – Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

  • 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PST
    “Keep an Eye on My Place”: The Dynamics of Social Connection for Older Adults Living in Subsidized Housing

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Thomas Cudjoe, MD, MPH, MA (he/him/his) – Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

  • 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PST
    The Long-Term Relationship Between Senior Housing, Social Isolation, and Cognitive Decline

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Sojung Park, PhD – Washington University in Saint Louis

  • 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PST
    A Detroit-Based Coalition to Promote Equity at the Intersection of Health, Housing, and Aging

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Tam E. Perry, PhD, FGSA (she/her/hers) – Wayne State University