“Shelter-in-Place” Policies and Changes in Caregiving for Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Year of Publication
2026
Author
Journal
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume
23
Issue
7
Date Published
06/2026
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23070825
Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, family support for older adults living with disabilities was disrupted due to “Shelter-in-Place (SIP)” orders. This study examined the impact of SIP policies on caregiving changes for people with disabilities who were not married. We used the National Health and Aging Trends Survey (NHATS) round 10 data and previously published data regarding SIP policies. The study sample included NHATS community dwelling respondents who needed assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and who were not married (n = 512). More than half of people (55.1%) reported no change in receiving help, approximately one-third (36.7%) reported receiving less help, and 8.2% reported receiving more help during COVID-19 than before. Compared with people who lived in areas that had fewer than 30%, people living in areas with 30–59% and with 60% or more of SIP days had 12 percentage points lower probability of reporting they received more help during COVID-19 (p = 0.02 for 30–59% and p = 0.03 for ≥60%). It is crucial to address caregiving needs during public health emergencies and to examine how policy disruptions impact support for individuals reliant on family assistance.

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