Digital divide creates challenges in connecting older adults to post-pandemic resources

As the world inches towards full emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic, California says older adults were hit the hardest in the past couple of years. The digital divide was partly the reason why. Director of the California Department of Aging (DOA), Susan DeMarois, says extreme isolation, resource availability, and elder abuse for those 60 years old and older have all increased since 2020. That's on top of this population experiencing the highest mortality rate for the virus. DOA, the governor, state legislator, and federal government have collaborated since 2019 to reverse those already rising statistics. DeMarois says one in every four Californians are expected to be 60 years older by the year 2031. While DeMarois says DOA will always offer its services and resources in modes most accessible to all kinds of Californians, she acknowledges that the transition from primarily mail, newspaper and phone services is leaving some people over 60 missing out on the information provided in the now digital-first world.