In a one-hour public program (via Zoom) in the Hunter@Home series on April 20, Lessons on Pandemic and Age, Christian González-Rivera, director of strategic policy initiatives, moderated a discussion on the challenges of COVID-19 for older adults, as well as potential opportunities. Joining him were executive director Ruth Finkelstein and Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, co-chair of the President’s Brookdale Advisory Board and senior adviser to Hunter College President Jennifer Raab.
The panel spoke about the importance of living conditions and the difficulty of self-isolating in a crowded apartment, as well as the resilience often found among older adults, which was in evidence after Hurricane Sandy. The technology on which we’re now reliant, Dr. Finkelstein pointed out, could be used to open up senior services, make them less age-segregated, and provide better access to the city and its educational institutions.
