International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

The Impact of COVID-19 Government Policies and Socioeconomic Disparities On Older Adults in Singapore: A Narrative Review and Recommendations for Pandemic Preparedness

Background: COVID-19 disparities exacerbated existing quality-of-life challenges for lower-income older adults. Using existing data and healthcare policy papers, our research questions were to explore: (1) the effectiveness of COVID-19 policy implementation; and (2) the overall issues faced by lower-income elderly throughout the COVID-19 period. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature review and analysis of secondary data sources published in PubMed Central and Google Scholar from 2020 to the present. We included qualitative and quantitative data from Singapore. Our analysis focused on investigating pandemic outcomes specific to lower-income elderly and the role of government policy in addressing these outcomes. When necessary, we supplemented our searches with grey literature documenting government policy and community responses. We anticipated that lower-income elderly would experience the greatest burden of COVID-19 disparities and that government policy should focus on reducing inequality post-pandemic. Results: Elderly Singaporeans of lower income were more vulnerable during the pandemic due to the restriction of crucial community services. Disparities in financial stability and mental health were greatest early in the pandemic (2020–2022), compounded by social isolation and job loss. Post-pandemic, some economic recovery has occurred, but permanent shifts toward telehealth have widened the digital divide. Conclusions: This study contributes to the field of research by drawing from existing literature to determine that lower income elderly faced more severe outcomes in multiple aspects during the pandemic, showing that they suffered to a greater extent from the pandemic. Further studies should look into the longitudinal mental and physical effects of the pandemic on the lower income elderly as well as track how, if any, government policies and community services are helping them adjust to the post pandemic realities such as the increased use of technology in essential services. Keywords: Covid-19, older adults in Singapore, government policy, pandemic preparedness, active lifestyles, socioeconomic disparities, digital divide, necessity of community services, mental health