New Online Library Connects Organizations to 300 Resources that Can Help Older Adults and Their Caregivers During Emergencies Like COVID-19
CHICAGO, June 21, 2021 - A new online resource library, released today, connects organizations that serve older adults and their caregivers with existing programs and services in the U.S. that can help these populations during public health emergencies such as disease outbreaks like COVID-19, natural disasters, and severe weather.
Search. Find. Help. includes resources ranging from tip sheets to prepare older adults for public health emergencies to tools to identify individuals in a community who need support following a disaster. The resource library is a project funded by the CDC Foundation, using support provided by donors to the Foundation's COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund with technical assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and development support from the nonpartisan and objective research organization NORC at the University of Chicago and Burness.
"Community organizations are a lifeline for older adults and for their caregivers during public health emergencies like COVID-19. Search. Find. Help. is a searchable online library that connects organizations to hundreds of existing resources that can help older adults and caregivers," said Alycia Bayne, principal research scientist in the Public Health Research Department at NORC and the project director. "There is an urgent need to raise awareness about these valuable resources."
The resources available through Search. Find. Help. were identified through an extensive search of publicly available literature to identify programs, policies, and strategies to support the physical and mental health of community-dwelling older adults and their caregivers during COVID-19 and other public health emergencies.
Search. Find. Help. also includes an action plan to help organizations select, adapt, and implement programs to meet the needs of their communities. The action plan, Helping Communities During Public Health Emergencies: An Action Plan for Organizations, can help organizations use the resources in Search. Find. Help. to support older adults and their caregivers during public health emergencies.
"Some older adults and their caregivers have struggled to maintain their health and well-being during COVID-19. While vaccines have begun to change lives, the impact of the pandemic continues to take a toll on these populations," said Judy Monroe, MD, CDC Foundation president and CEO. "Search. Find. Help. can assist community organizations in supporting older adults and their caregivers now and during future public health emergencies."
Organizations can take several actions to help older adults and their caregivers during emergencies as well as learn more.
Search for resources that can help:
- Search. Find. Help.
- Helping Communities During Public Health Emergencies: An Action Plan for Organizations
Learn about needs of older adults and their caregivers:
- Maintaining Physical and Mental Well-Being of Older Adults and Their Caregivers During Public Health Emergencies: Executive Summary and Final Report
“Community organizations are a lifeline for older adults and for their caregivers during public health emergencies like COVID-19.”
About NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society.
Contact: For more information, please contact Eric Young at NORC at young-eric@norc.org or (703) 217-6814 (cell).
About Burness
Burness is a mission-driven communications firm with the ability, along with its partners, to influence social change. Veteran communications, media, and policy experts work with digital strategists, designers, writers, and producers to create and execute communication strategies that move issues and elevate organizations.