Older Adults Post-Incarceration: Restructuring Long-Term Services and Supports in the Time of COVID-19

Boucher, Nathan A.; Van Houtven, Courtney H.; Dawson, Walter D.

Objectives To describe long-term care services and supports (LTSS) in the US, note their limitations in serving older adults post-incarceration, and offer potential solutions – with special consideration for the COVID-19 pandemic. Design Narrative review Setting and Participants: Long-term care services and supports for older adults post-incarceration Methods Literature review and policy analysis Results Skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, assisted living, adult foster homes, and informal care from family and friends compose LTSS for older adults, but their utilization suffers from access and payment complexities, especially for older adults post-incarceration. A combination of public-private partnerships, utilization of health professional trainees, and unique approaches to informal caregiver support, including direct compensation to caregivers, could help older adults reentering our communities following prison. Conclusions and Implications Long-standing gaps in US LTSS are revealed by the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Older adults entering our communities from prison are particularly vulnerable and need unique solutions to aging care as they face stigma and access challenges not typically encountered by the general population. Our review and discussion offer guidance to systems, practitioners, and policy makers on how to improve the care of older adults post-incarceration.