J Aging Soc Policy
. 2020 May 31;1-11.
doi: 10.1080/08959420.2020.1772004. Online ahead of print.
COVID-19 Pandemic: Exacerbating Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Long-Term Services and Supports
Tetyana P Shippee 1 , Odichinma Akosionu 2 , Weiwen Ng 2 , Mark Woodhouse 3 , Yinfei Duan 4 , Mai See Thao 5 , John R Bowblis 6
Affiliations
- PMID: 32476614
- DOI: 10.1080/08959420.2020.1772004
Abstract
What services are available and where racial and ethnic minorities receive long-term services and supports (LTSS) have resulted in a lower quality of care and life for racial/ethnic minority users. These disparities are only likely to worsen during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the pandemic has disproportionately affected racial and ethnic minority communities both in the rate of infection and virus-related mortality. By examining these disparities in the context of the pandemic, we bring to light the challenges and issues faced in LTSS by minority communities with regard to this virus as well as the disparities in LTSS that have always existed.
Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; LTSS; disparities; quality of care; quality of life.