Vibrant Older Adults

This chapter presents the work of the Older Adults Work Group (OAWG), which has focused on the experiences of active older adults, whom we termed “vibrant older adults,” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter describes the origin story of the OAWG, which led to the articulation of its mission, i.e., advancing awareness and knowledge among other professionals about the psychological experiences of this less-visible group within the wide and diverse population of older adults during COVID-19. Consistent with the work of group members, the OAWG mission had an additional focus: the exploration of the impact of the trauma of the Holocaust on the reactions of Holocaust survivors, and the impact of intergenerational transmission of effects related to the trauma of the Holocaust on the reactions of offspring of Holocaust survivors, during the pandemic. This chapter reviews observations from multiple levels of interventions during COVID, including individual clinical sessions with child survivors of the Holocaust conducted in home visits, challenges faced within a large healthcare system offering social services to Holocaust survivors, and psychosocial online interventions with offspring of Holocaust survivors (2G), as well as research findings from an empirical study with this group. The chapter concludes with insights and actionable suggestions gleaned from the different interventions and offers a public health perspective for continued coping with the uncertainty associated with waves of the pandemic, better preparedness for future crises, and improved services for active older adults during the pandemic and beyond.