Opinion: Older adults still need food and support during the pandemic. We can help

By Jamila Taylor

COVID-19 has brought to light how ill prepared we were for the basic everyday things Americans take for granted, such as grocery shopping — a particular problem for older adults vulnerable to the virus.

Seldom does the association between food insecurity and the elderly population cross one’s mind on first thought.

At the beginning of March, when the United States began to take notice of the coronavirus, it was not uncommon to join a line wrapped around two to three city blocks to get access into Trader Joe's, Wholefoods, and BJ's. Food insecurity has increased among the older population in the United States due to the pandemic. 

I'm currently a public health student, a daughter, a mother, and a neighbor to a friendly older woman who lives alone. 

When the coronavirus was first declared a crisis, there was a shortage of many sought-after grocery items such as rice, beans, bakery goods, frozen foods and canned goods. Like many Americans, I was paranoid with the fear of adjusting to the "new normal." After being asked to work remotely, I began to tune into Gov. Cuomo's daily briefings. Every single briefing, Cuomo urged his fellow Americans to check in on the elderly during these uncertain times. 

According to Feeding America, "as of 2017, 5.5 million seniors age 60 and older in the U.S. experience food insecurity." 

With the panic and food shortages occurring in less than two weeks, many older Americans did not have a chance to stock up. 

With little information about its severity, older Americans decided to stay inside in their homes to protect themselves from crowded grocery stores filled with aggressive shoppers that were much younger than them. 

One day during quarantine I came across a program funded by New York City Meals on Wheels that was delivering food to the older population free of charge every week. 

Excited, I grabbed my mask and my four-year-old daughter to alert my neighbor next door. Nothing could have prepared me for the conversation that ensued. What I thought would be a brief dialogue of the food program information turned into an eye-opening exchange. 

My neighbor said that she felt uncomfortable eating food that was already cleaned, seasoned, and prepared by someone else. 

My neighbor also questioned how fresh the food was once it arrived at her doorstep. All these were valid points and concerns. I believe older New Yorkers often have underlying health conditions and need to abide by certain diet restrictions. My neighbor decided to apply for the program. This option allowed her a guaranteed meal option.

In addition to these factors, older adults in the West Indian community prefer to physically go to the local green market or grocery store and handpick their produce and food to prepare their meals at home for themselves. 

Many grocery stores have implemented shopping hours designated for serving the older population during COVID-19. 

The primary goal is to allow the aging population to take their time to shop aisles and have a stress free shopping experience. The grocery stores are unpacking and receiving incoming shipments at 7 a.m.  

When certain items are not stocked on shelves many older Americans often have to go without or come back another day. Food insecurity then perpetuates because the shoppers who were usually able to complete their grocery lists in one trip often have to come back another day or time to get essential items.

As the pandemic continues, food insecurity among the older population in the United States will continue to increase.

As more places open up for business and we return to our daily lives with the "new normal", think about your friendly elderly neighbor or relative in your life. 

I urge you to take as little as one hour a month to volunteer for a food program. Even that would help to keep organizations afloat at this time. 

Also, spreading the word to coworkers, friends, and family about your efforts to minimize food insecurity among the older population will go a long way. 

As the weather gets colder, keep in mind that what you may perceive as a small gesture can be life or death for a local senior citizen during this pandemic 

Jamila Taylor is a graduate student at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center School of Public Health.