Anthropology: Culture Health and Healing

I thought I’d share my final paper for my anthropology class this semester at UVM. The paper is based off a service learning project that our class did with one of five different community partners. The paper took many, many hours to write along with an entire semesters worth of work preparing for the interview, conducting the interview, transcribing the interview, and so on. It may be a denser read than some of my normal blog posts, but if you’re interested in the social sciences maybe you’ll learn something new.

COVID-19 impacts on Vermont SASH residents including feelings of loneliness and social isolation, exploring effective coping mechanisms, and looking at the effect of SASH events on resident’s health.

Acknowledgments To start off, I would like to thank everyone who helped during this service learning research project for the SASH program. I would like to thank our our SASH community partner Melissa Southwick, who gave us insight about the SASH program and purposes of the project as well as connected us to our interviewees. I would like to extend my gratitude to our interviewees, including Rita Paulson for taking time out of her day to answer my questions openly along my classmate, Cassie Gordon, and her interviewee Frank, who’s conversation I used in my analysis.

I would also like to thank Professor Jeanne Shea and the UVM Office of Community-Engaged Learning for organizing everything and supporting our service learning experience. I also would like to send a big thank you to my TA Willow for being extremely helpful and patient throughout this whole process.

Introduction

Opening Statement

This service learning project was made in collaboration with SASH (Support and Services at Home). SASH is a local VT partnership between various “social service agencies, community health providers, and nonprofit housing organizations” that work together to support older adults and those with special needs in the Vermont community (SASH 2020). SASH serves around 5,000 people in Vermont and aims to help improve their quality of life with the help of check-ins with staff, wellness activities, health coaches, and other forms of support (SASH 2020). Due to the challenges of the pandemic, SASH coordinators were concerned about how their participants were coping with the changes of the pandemic and were wondering how their support has aided during these times and if there is anything further they can do to help. This essay is an analysis of two interviews with participants of the SASH program in correlation with ideas related to medical anthropology and other social sciences. The interviews were conducted by myself and other members in my group in my ANTH 174/SOC 155 medical anthropology course at the University of Vermont.

Research Questions

The research questions are thus as follows: How have SASH participants in felt during the pandemic in terms of their sense of social connection, social isolation, and/or loneliness during the pandemic? What has made them feel more versus less socially isolated or lonely? Have any SASH activities helped, and if so, which ones? Are there any SASH activities that they miss and would they do them if offered remotely? Does any of this differ depending on whether they live in SASH apartments or in their own freestanding homes? Or on whether the SASH participant lives in in Chittenden County versus the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont?

Thesis Statement

Based on the two interviews with SASH participants that I analyzed, one with an older female member living in Chittenden county and the other a middle-aged male also living in Chittenden county, both interviewees expressed increased feelings of loneliness, social isolation, and a struggle to find social connection during the pandemic. They have also experienced some financial instability and difficulties with health care that have negatively impacted their wellbeing. There are some differences between the two interviewees in how much isolation has impacted their mental health and what coping mechanisms they are employing to help combat these negative feelings. Both have attempted to stay connected with friends and family remotely using means of phone communication, and the male participant has also been using video calls and WhatsApp which helps them feel less lonely. There are few SASH activities either of them miss and both agree that they would probably not participate if those activities were offered remotely. Since the two interviewees both live in apartment buildings in Chittenden county, there is not much difference between their living situations and thus comparisons are negligible.

Significance

In this essay, I take an experiential and interpretive approach to the data. Experiential approaches focus on narrative, experience and meaning of a heal issue on an individual’s (Brown and Barrett 2010, 10). Interpretive anthropology focuses on meanings and experiences of the participant, often using explanatory or phenomenological models to learn about the stories and feelings of the individual (Shea 09/09/2020). In the interviews a phenomenological approach was used to learn about the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the interviewee. I explore ideas surrounding mental health by addressing themes of cultural norms and stigmas, how stress influences mental health, age and gender differences, and coping mechanisms to help buffer stress (Shea 10/19/2020). A final connection to the course relates the health care systems and living situation to the mental and physical wellbeing of the patient (Shea 10/26/2020). This paper utilizes multiple sources from the course materials in the class ANTH 174/SOC 155, outside sources in both medical anthropology and other social sciences, as well as several class lectures and grey materials such as our community partner’s website. This analysis will hopefully give insight both to a new realm of research surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic as well as practical significance to SASH in helping them better understand how their residents are feeling and adjust their program accordingly.

Methods and Sources

Service Learning Quality Improvement Research

Service learning is the intentional combination of meaningful community-based service with academic learning so learners and community partners benefit equally (Shea 09/09/2020). This paper is built off of a service learning quality improvement research project in partnership between myself and nine other students in the Fall 2020 ANTH 174/SOC 155 Culture, Health, and Healing class taught by Professor Shea along with a local community partner, in this case SASH (Support and Services at Home). The class lecture (ANTH 174) on 09/21/2020 was very helpful in explaining the background of SASH and how the goals of the interview are to learn how the SASH participants have been experiencing the pandemic and their views on how SASH has been handling things and supporting them (Shea).

Guest speaker and SASH coordinator Melissa Southwick emphasized the goals of the study were to collect data to help improve SASH programs that would aid their residents moving forward. The pandemic has brought many challenges to everyone, and SASH is trying to protect their residents during these tenuous times as many of their residents are some of the most vulnerable to COVID-19 (SASH 2020). Hopefully our class interviews and papers can help SASH coordinators better understand the feelings of their residents and aid them move forward with future programming adjusted to these new conditions.

Research Subjects

Our service learning group consisted of ten students who each interviewed a resident in the SASH program who lives in either Chittenden County or the Northeast kingdom. The interviews were conducted in October and November 2020. In our SL group, each interviewee was interviewed once for about an hour.

Our community partners spread the word about our project through our recruitment flyer materials, and a point person in their organization collected the names of people interested in participating. Within a week or so most of us had been assigned interviewees after we submitted a spreadsheet listing our availability and our Service Learning TA, Winter, reached out to people who indicated interest in participating and found matching availability and set a time. Contact information was then shared with the student interviewer through a secure means such as File Transfer Protocol.

Interview Methods

The ethnographic interviews for SASH were conducted in the phenomenological style where the questions asked during the interview were open needed to help the conversation flow and give the interviewee time to tell their story. The questions included demographic information, general questions about the pandemic, experiences around the pandemic, changes in social life, sense of loneliness, coping mechanisms, social connection, use of remote technology, SASH activities, life history, and post-pandemic hopes. See the appendix attached at the end for full list of research question. One notable thing I have learned from my SL training is the importance of listening to the interviewee and allowing them time to think and answer as suggested in the Tips for Ethnographic Interviewing guide (Shea 2020, 1).

The interviews were conducted remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, using phone calls or video chat. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and then de-identified for safety purposes. The interview questions were divided into twelve parts with topics focused on changes wrought by the pandemic, to basic demographic info, to how the SASH program has helped, and the mental states of the patients. The full set of questions is at the end of the appendix. The questions were developed by Professor Shea in collaboration with our community partner.

IRB and Ethics

Submitted by Professor Shea through the IRB self-determination portal, this project was determined to be quality improve to research not requiring formal IRB review. Before the interview was conducted, all students (myself included) took the online course for social and behavioral researched offered by the University of Vermont needed to receive our IRB certificates. We also read the handout related to American Anthropological Association (AAA) Code of Ethics and I followed the instructions to the best of my abilities. Training provided to us by Professor Shea guided us in important ethical principles for treating our interviewees with honesty, transparency, and respect.

Before anyone was interviewed, we went over the lay summary (see appendix) with our interviewee. We let them know that their participation was entirely voluntary and that they could decide to answer or not answer as many questions as they would like. There was no compensation for this interview. We explained the procedure to de-identify information to protect their confidentially and after they had a chance to ask any questions we obtained their oral consent to the interview and proceeded with recording the conversation.

Preparation for Interviewing

Before the interview process began, we did several things to prepare for our interviews including classmate practice interviews for a different essay about our own health and healing experiences in order to gain some experience in ethnographic interviewing, coding, and analysis. We read the lay summary and interview questions for our service learning project and watched a mock inverted video recording done by Professor Shea with a person role playing a research subject. We also conducted a practice interview with one of our SL group members where we asked and answered the same questions were going to be interviewing our community partner. The practice interviews were also videotaped and reflected upon to hopefully improve our actual interview.

Transcription, Coding and Analysis

Professor Shea taught us about transcription and coding to us in September, which we practiced in analyzing our Classmate Interviews and received detailed feedback on how we did. Later, Prof. Shea and our community partner developed a codebook of analytical themes designed specifically for our SL project. We were also invited to add some of our own codes if we wanted. As we transcribed our SL interviews verbatim, we stripped them of any identifying information, and assigned pseudonyms to the interviewee and any non-public figure to whom they referred. Then we each used the codes to code a raw transcript and wrote an initial analytical memo. Professor Shea gave us a coded transcripts from one of our SL group members so that we could analyze both of them together. I analyzed my interview and Celia’s in light of the research questions included in our codebook, and wrote up an outline and a draft of this essay. We shared drafts of our outlines and essays with our SL group members in class to get some formative feedback and then wrote our final version.

Reflexive Statement

When initially beginning this project, I expected someone rather like Ben and Jerry to be honest, with an older white-middle aged hippie style persona. I tried to set aside my assumptions about who I was interviewing based on age, gender, location, and so on. attempted to make the interviewee as comfortable as possible during the interviewee and aimed to not ask any leading questions. I image that my identity might have been perceived by the interviewee as a young college student, probably a bit scattered, but open and friendly. I was pleasantly surprised that the conversation I had with Rita, my interviewee, was very enjoyable and we laughed a lot throughout our hour together. I have never done coding or analysis before this class, and now realize the amount of work put into this projects is very commendable and have gained great respect for those who do this professionally. During the writing of this essay I tried not to select data based off of any preconceived notions and shaped the essay based off of what I observed and not what I wanted to see. Even with all of the challenges we’ve faced as a collective this year, it was still a rewarding process and I hope this essay brings something useful to the SASH program and field of anthropology in light of the pandemic.

Characterization of Sources

The types of in-class and outside sources used included lecture materials along with scholarly, peer-reviewed medical anthropology books and articles that were both required readings and searched for outside of class. Other sources included our community partner page, handout instructions on how to conduct the interview, and a grey literature cite. I used our course research guide to help me form a bibliographic search strategy that I used to find outside sources included databases such as ProQuest, ANTHSource, and GoogleScholar. The search terms used included “COVID-19” “Age” “Gender” “Loneliness” and “Isolation” in various combinations.

Synopses of the Interviews

First Interview with Rita

The first interview listed was the one I conducted with Rita Paulson, one of the SASH participants who volunteered to be interviewed. She talked about her life in general while responding to the questions from the handout for SASH interviews. Rita explained that she has experienced increased loneliness and social isolation during the being of the pandemic but is doing a little better now that things have opened up more. She felt more socially isolated and lonely due to the fact that she was basically confined in her room and was no longer able to get out and participate in the social activities that she was doing before, like community groups, church gatherings, bingo nights, and going out to eat with friends. Several SASH activities have helped reduce her feelings of social isolation and increase feelings of connection such as socially distant bingo, live exercise classes, and check-ins with SASH staff and other community members. Rita really missed SASH’s bingo nights early on in the pandemic, but is happy that they are back in session now, even if it is not the same as before. She does not really want to do any remote SASH activities as she does not have a computer or smart phone nor does she want to get one. I got the impression from Rita that she is very happy with the SASH program and is glad to be a living in one of their apartment complexes in Chittenden County.

Second Interview with Frank

In the second interview, Cassie Gordon interviewed Frank, another SASH participant who lives in Chittenden County in the city of Burlington. Frank lives in alone in an apartment building and explains that the pandemic has been hard for him, especially since he was dealing with health challenges before lockdown began. Frank says that he experienced relative isolation beforehand as he was stuck inside due to health issues so there have been few changes to his routine. He is still able to call family to talk or video call them. Frank has not participated in many SASH activities, though he did enjoy the pizza nights. While he does not wish SASH offered any additional resources, he suggests adding a pinball machine to one of the facilities both for the participants to enjoy and also by using the profits to raise money for other programs. I got the impression that Frank is trying to cope as best he can during these tenuous times and is missing being able to get outside and enjoy the warm weather and that he is worried about being stuck in Burlington during the cold Vermont winters as he normally travels to South America over the winter.

Results

COVID-19 impacts on routine, finances, and access to help

Changes in Routine

The pandemic has shifted many of our daily routines, most notably limited access to many of the activities we all used to participate in. Many are struggling to maintain or find new social connections during times of increased isolation due to lockdowns and trying to avoid contracting the disease. Both of the interviews from the SASH participants stated that they have experienced several changes in their regular routines. Rita experienced dramatically less social contact, especially at the beginning of the pandemic due to her inability to leave her room for a time. Now she is able to get around a bit more but still has limited access to the outside world. Frank also experienced several changes to routine such as not being able to travel and higher difficulty in accessing his medications. Both of the participants noted that they spend more time alone which lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation that will be discussed more in depth later on. Both participants often found themselves increasing the amount of time they spent on distracting activities such as playing the television in the background to keep themselves entertained, which is probably something many people across the US are also doing.

Changes in Finances

Many people have experienced changes in their financial situations, often decreased access to funds as many people have lost jobs, faced budget cuts, or have welfare cut as well. These significant gaps in financial stability are often related to nationality or living situation and can increase the adverse effects of COVID 19 such as difficulty getting enough food, impacting ability to pay rent or mortgage, and trouble covering household expenses (CBPP 2020). In Vermont specifically there was a 7% increase in adults and 8% of adults with children who reported that their household did not have enough to eat because they couldn’t afford it during the months of Sept 30-Oct 26 as was last updated on the CBPP webpage (2020). The CBPP website also stated that the Number of SNAP Participants has increased in most states (Feb-Aug) but stayed the same in VT. Rita’s comments in her interview confirmed these facts. She does not currently have a job as she is nearly 80 and normally receives monthly checks to support her living situation. However, she notes that she has received much less money than normal after the pandemic started and was on food stamps but now she’s only getting $40 a month for food compared to $200. This is concerning as only $40 is nowhere near enough for a healthy, sustainable diet over the course of a month. These changes in finances are worrisome as maintaining a high state of mental and physical health is important to combat any form of illness, and having a tedious financial state can lead to increased worries about being able to pay rent or a tight budget can lead to food insecurity and decreased physical. If less money is available to spend on vital costs like food, people commonly resort to buying less expensive foods which often are also processed, higher in calories, fats, and generally not the types of things you want to buy to be at your peak fitness. It seems like Rita is doing okay for now at least, since she told me in the interview that she was having steak and salad for dinner.

Disproportionate Impacts

The people most vulnerable to impacts form the virus are often those who are already experiencing inequalities. Those most “vulnerable along lines of age, class, and race” have been hit the hardest by the pandemic since at the being of the lockdown governments falsely assumed equality among a national population and thus gave the same amount of support regardless of situation (Caduff 2020, 5). Some people need more assistance than others, especially those who are older, living alone, and not working like Rita, Frank, and other residents of SASH. A study by Nwachukwu and all found that people “particularly vulnerable” to COVID-19 remains older adults in senior-care home, as both their physical and mental health can be effected negatively (2020, 7). Thus, it is more important than ever to provide the proper support to those who are disproportionately impacted by the virus. Some ideas of different ways to help combat these impacts are to increase financial aid or decrease rent, provide more free meals, make sure residents find some way to maintain social connections or participate in other activities that give them something to do or a feeling of purpose.

COVID-19 impacts on isolation, loneliness, and mental health

Feelings of isolation and loneliness

In many situations, people’s feelings of isolation and loneliness increased due to changes wrought by the pandemic. These feelings can often start to spiral out of control and lead to other mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. However, while there is a large portion of people who experience this issues, many do not reach out for help. This could be due to some of the societal stigmas around mental health that may impact people’s willingness to recognize or talk about mental health issues (Shea 10/19/2020). If people are not reaching out to get help, they are likely to experience further increases in stress, anxiety, and depression. Rita stated that she has felt more isolated and lonely than every before which has made her sad. Frank has similarly been more down-hearted than normal, but he says he has experienced similar levels of isolation and loneliness as he was dealing with health issues pre-covid and thus was already spending more time inside. Nevertheless, both of the SASH participants interviewed have been experienced heightened feelings of isolation and loneliness which could lead to worse mental health issues if these feelings persist.

Amount of stress related to age

Age impacts many parts of our life including capacity to handle and resolve stress. A study by Nwachukwu and all found that stress about the COVID pandemic were highest among 25 year olds while lowest among 60+ year olds and that 60 + year olds also experienced less anxiety and depression than their younger counterparts, even though those at 60+ are at higher risk for infection and mortality (2020, 6). One theory they had was that older adults are “less socially mobile than younger ones” which could explain the reduction in stress, since their social circles are lower and older adults could have previous life experience that would equip them with handling this situation. (Nwachukwu et al 2020, 7). However, many older adults are also less tech-savvy than younger generations so they may have harder times connecting remotely and thus have increased feelings of isolation and loneliness. Even though stress may be decreased in older adults due to previous life experience or smaller social circles that they still may be able to connect with, stress can still be present in older adults. In the first interview, Rita did note an increase sense of worry and said she was very tired of staying in her room, though she did not sound as stressed about the pandemic as some other people I have had conversations with. Instead, Rita seemed hopeful that everything would blow over soon. In the second interview, Frank talked about he was worried about the outside world and was concerned about how government is handling situation. No questions in the interview handout specifically asked about stress, so I’m not certain if the participants experienced stress related to the pandemic or if it was just increased concern in general.

Mental health and gender

Gender influences many aspects of health and females often experience more worry and stress than their male counterparts. COVID-19 has certainly brought a lot more worries and stress into our lives, from worry surrounding simple tasks like going to the grocery store, to contracting the virus yourself or transmitting it to others, and more. A study by Barzilay and all found that “females had overall higher COVID-19 related worries” with the most prominent being their family getting COVID-19 or unintentionally infecting others were the highest worries overall and “older participants worried more about themselves than their younger counterparts, but still worried more about others” (2020, 3). They also found that worries around covid increased the probability of generalized anxiety and depression, with females being more likely for both (5). Rita and Frank seemed fairly comparable with stress levels and mental health as both are dealing with other health problems that make them more vulnerable to the pandemic. They both have been attempting to cope with increased isolation and loneliness as many of us have been trying to do. Rita seems to have a bit more surrounding social support while Frank seems more savvy with connecting remotely. Hopefully these tools will help them both find joy in connecting with others and improve their mental health.

Dealing with negative COVID-19 effects

Coping Mechanisms

There are many different methods people are implementing to combat the negative effects of COVID: some positive, some negative, many escapist. Rita has been using different activities like puzzles, playing cards, and watching television by herself to pass the time. She said that she’s been going to bed earlier than normal since she does not want to stay up alone. Frank has been smoking marijuana and watching more television than normal to help him cope with feelings of loneliness and stress. He often uses marijuana to help him get to sleep better. He also goes outside to bask in the sun which helps his mental state, so he’s very worried about winter when that won’t be possible. It sounds as though both of them are really just trying to hang in there and get through the pandemic while being as safe as possible by remaining mostly isolated and avoiding any contact with those who may have COVID. Both mentioned talking with people or seeing family in a socially distanced way has been helpful with dealing with loneliness and isolation.

Finding new ways to connect

Making social connections with others is an important way to deal with the feelings of isolation and loneliness bought on by the pandemic. Stress is often lessened by social support systems which help to “buffer” against stress (McElroy and Townsend 2009, 276-277). While in-person activities are not as common, Rita has participated in some distanced activities at SASH and Frank is able to talk with his children masked, outside at least once a week. Rita’s niece often takes her grocery shopping once a week which is both helpful transportation-wise but also great time for the two of them to catch up. Both Rita and Frank use phone calls to talk with others and Frank also uses Video calls and WhatsApp to talk with family and friends. The two of them agreed that talking with others reduced their feelings of loneliness. The pandemic has required a lot of creative thinking to maintain or make new social connections. Social media has been a major component for many people, though older adults like Rita who only have a landline do not have access to this technology, so it’s important to consider other methods of connection like simple phone calls or other distanced activities to help with social connections.

SASH impacts on participant wellbeing

Healthcare Support

Access to healthcare is important for overall wellbeing, but there are disparities between age, income, and living location. Noticing how access to healthcare changes as people age is important as lower access is often correlated to income as well, since people who experience poverty also tend to have poor health and low access to medical care (Singer and Baer 2012, 181). Older adults are less likely to have a job and more likely to need healthcare support, making it all the more important to have services readily available to those who need it. Rita is pleased that there is a nurse on staff in her building and that she can get physicals right next door at Apple Tree Day. However, Frank has been struggling with healthcare access as he was without vital medications for around two and half months. He says that he has not called on SASH services for support in this struggle, but instead has been going through the social worker at the facility where he receives his medication. In the future it could be useful for him to connect with someone within SASH who could help him manage those transactions better so he won’t be without his medications for extended periods again.

SASH Services

Environment can impact your mental and physical health, so it is important that assisted living facilities provide a welcoming environment and community that residents want to be a part of. McLean states that nursing homes in the US do not always live up to standards, for while the more prestigious ones are sterile and regulated, worse versions are “unsanitary, neglectful, abusive, and deadly” (2008, 195-197). The living costs of many nursing homes and assisted living facilities are high, and McLean considers this a waste of money as “millions of older Americans have been forced to live out their final years without dignity” as their freedom is thrown out the window (2008, 195-197). It sounds like SASH apartments are the opposite of this poor description. In the first interview, Rita stated that she thinks that SASH is a good program to be in and loves living with everyone in her apartment complex. She likes going to the community room downstairs, although it is currently closed, and is very fond of many of the staff members, including the nurse on floor and the supervisor in her building. Frank seems a bit more isolated, but he says that he’s gotten phone calls from Sandra to check in and was grateful for her help in setting up an InstaCart for him to make shopping easier. Both mentioned being appreciative of SASH and the services the program offers.

Participant Feedback

Overall, Rita and Frank both seem very happy with their living situations at SASH. Rita is glad that she has support in the building and friends just down the hall or downstairs. She has not participated in any remote events but has done some distanced ones and loves bingo. In the past, Frank did try the SASH pizza and movie party, but only went for the pizza. He has not participated in any remote additives and both of the interviewees said that they would probably not go to any remote activists if they were offered since Frank is not interested and Rita only has a landline and no means of connecting online. For in person events, Frank had a suggestion of adding a pin-ball machine to the common room while Rita is remains hopeful that bingo will be reopened in full swing sometime in the future.

Discussion

Implications in Relation to the Literature

The interview findings and resulting paper from this service learning project can be connected to ideas from medical anthropology on health, healing, health care from several readings including those about mental health, stress, and medical anthropology. The ideas from this paper can be connected to lectures addressing similar issues. Other connections can be made with outside scholarly peer-reviewed sources in medical anthropology and other social sciences talking about impacts of COVID-19, changes in mental health, financial and health disparities, and more.

Implications in Relation to Community Partner’s Goals

The implications of COVID-19 on older adults are concerning, but hopefully with the proper support these negative effects will be lessened. While it is true that “people most at risk of death are older than 65”, there are number of factors including testing, contact tracing, health care workers, and equipped nursing homes that can help keep people healthy(Caduff 2020, 8). SASH helps provide easy access to healthcare and social support as well. Rita and Frank have been struggling to deal with all of the challenges COVID-19 has thrown at them, most notably changes in mental states such as increased feelings of isolation and loneliness as well as more physical problems such as difficulty accessing medications and food. SASH has been providing help and social support for all of their residents which is encouraging.

Limitations

There are some limitations with this analysis as only two interviews were looked at in this paper. I was unable to compare these two interviews based off of location, so it would be interesting in the future to see if there were any variations between people living in Chittenden versus the Northeast Kingdom or freestanding homes versus apartments. There are many differences between people from uncontrollable factors like age, gender, and race to factors people have some or all choice for themselves like living situation, personality, attitude, and capabilities to deal with loneliness. It is important to look at many different groups to see if there are similar trends and what the implications of those trends are, but it is also important to remember that everyone is unique and has a complex historical background that shapes their present state of being.

Directions for Future Research

It would be interesting to look at a wider range of interviews to see if there are any differences between the participants attitudes based off of demographics like apartments or freestanding home, county location, age, and sex. Of course, we can not generally too much based off of one or two interviews, but I got the impression from both Rita and Frank that they are happy living at SASH and that they are hopeful for the future when the virus is finally over.

Conclusion

Summary

The pandemic has been as struggle for many of us, and has been especially hard on those who have limited contact to the outside world like those living alone away from family and friends. After analyzing the two interviews from the SASH participants Rita and Frank, I found that both interviewees had experienced increased feelings of loneliness, social isolation, and a struggle to find social connection during the pandemic. Both Rita and Frank have had difficulties with financial or health care access that have impacted their wellbeing. There are some differences between the two interviewees in the level of impact isolation has had on their mental health. The two of them have various coping mechanisms they are using to decrease these negative feelings including watching televising, going to bed early, and trying to stay connected with friends and family. It is important to take action to combat stress as chronic stress, often brought about by negative emotions and feelings of fear or dissatisfaction, can wear on both mental and physical health (Shea 10/26/2020). Whether these connections are remote via phone or video calls or in person and distanced, either version has been very helpful in improving the participants mental health. It sounds like Rita and Frank mostly miss being able to see people in person and did enjoy going to a few SASH events in the past, but both agree that they would probably not get involved in the remote versions. The two interviewees both live in apartment buildings in Chittenden county, so I was not able to answer the final research question.

Closing Remarks

Hopefully this analysis and that of my classmates will help SASH improve their programs and lead to further insights or studies that could help the resident’s state of wellbeing even further. Again, it is hard to generalize just based off of two interviews but it sounds as though SASH is already doing a good job and hopefully can continue reaching out to residents and helping them with all aspects of their health—physical, mental, and maybe even financial. If I could go back, I would have like to ask Rita more about her mental health and levels of stress to see how that has changed for her over time and if she recognizes any possible mental health issues within herself or that of other SASH residents. Overall, this project was a lot of work but I’m glad I was able to partake as I learned a lot throughout this entire process and hope that my paper is useful for the SASH program going forward.

Annotated Bibliography

Barzilay, Ran; Tyler Moore, David Greenberg, Grace DiDomenico, Lily Brown, Lauren White,

Ruben Gur, and Raquel Gur. 2020. “Resilience, COVID-19-related stress, anxiety, and depression during the pandemic in a large population enriched for healthcare providers”. Translational Psychiatry. London. Vol. 10 Iss. 1 doi:10.038/s4298-020-00982-4

Relevant outside scholarly peer reviewed article, found on ProQuest, for examples of gender and age affecting mental health including anxiety and depression in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. This source also questions what areas cause the most concern for participants of the study, which should be a reflection of the larger population.

Brown, Peter J. And Ron Barrett. 2010. “Chapter 1: Medical Anthropology: An Introduction to the Fields”. Understanding and Applying Medical Anthropology. Second Edition. McGrawHill Higher Education. New York, NY.

This book gives useful background and insight into the history and practices of medical

anthropology along with insights on future use.

Caduff, Carol. 2020 “What Went Wrong: Corona and the World after the Full Stop”. Medical

Anthropology Quarterly.Vol. 10, Issue 1, pp. 1-21 DOI: 10.1111/maq.12599

Relevant medical anthropology source found on ANTHsource, for evidence on how the coronavirus impacts people based on age, class, and race since the lockdowns first weekend. Also gives some background to how the first wave of corona virus impacted the US and how the immediate responses of the people in the country shaped the pandemic’ s later outcome.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) “Tracking the COVID-19 Recessions’ Effects on

Food, Housing, and Employment Hardships.” Updated November 13, 2020. Web address: https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/tracking-the-covid-19-recessions-effects-on-food-housing-and

Relevant great literature source, found online, for an example of how income disparities are affecting people across the US. This source gives some statistics about how Vermont is doing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

McElroy, Ann and Patrica K. Townsend. 2009. “Chapter Seven: Stress, Illness, and Healing .”

Medical Anthropology in Ecological Perspective.Fifth Edition. West view Press. Boulder, CO

Assigned reading in class, for an example of how stress and social systems interact. One point in this chapter states that often stress is lessened with the help of social support systems.

McLean, Athena. 2008 “Old Age in a New Age: the Promise of Transformative Nursing Homes

by Beth Baker”. Medical Anthropology Quarterly Vol. 22 Iss. 2 Pg. 195-197

Relevant medical anthropology source found on ANTHsource, for ideas concerning life in a nursing home and how the living situations impact the individual living in the nursing or assisted living home.

Nwachukwu, Izu; Nnamdi Nkire, Reham Shalaby, Marianne Hrabok, Wesley Vuong, April

Gusnowski, Shireen Surood, Liana Urichuk, Andrew J. Greenshaw, and Vincent I. O. Anya-ongoing. 2020 “COVID-19 Pandemic: Age-Related Differences in Measures of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Canada”. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Vol. 17, doi: 0.3390/ijerph17176366

Relevant outside scholarly peer reviewed article, found on ProQuest, for evidence relating to stress and age correlations in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. Give statistics about ave how age differences affect peoples stress levels and reactions to the pandemic.

SASH. Updated 2020. “SASH (Support and Services at Home): About SASH”. SASHVT.org

Part of the non-profit Cathedral Square Organization. https://sashvt.org

This website is the main page of our partner organization for this study. The info helps provide useful background information and gives a better idea about the purpose of the study.

Shea, Jeanne. 09/09/2020 “Theory and Method in Medical Anthropology” Course lecture in

ANTH 174: Culture Health and Healing. Burlington, Vermont: University of Vermont. The lecture from the courseconsidering the nature of service learning and service any research. This research project puts emphasis on how the learner/student can grow from this experience and also actually help someone within the community whilethey are also receiving benefits from this study.

Shea, Jeanne. 09/21/2020. “Meet Service Learning Community Partner in Class” Course lecture

in ANTH 174: Culture Health and Healing. Burlington, Vermont: University of Vermont.

The lecture from our community partners visit, Melissa Southwick, for the SASH program. Melissa Southwick talked about the goals of the study about how SASH participants are handling the pandemic and to see if there any age or gender differences. In this collaboration, we also want to see what the participants think of the SASH program and if there could be any improvements.

Shea, Jeanne. 10/19/2020 “Mental Health and Psychiatry in Cross-Cultural Perspective” Course

lecture in ANTH 174: Culture Health and Healing. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont.

Class lecture, for ideas concerning social stigma around mental health and mental health issues within different populations. Ideas including how loneliness and isolation can affect individuals mental health.

Shea, Jeanne. 10/26/2020 “Anthropological Perspectives on Stress, Illness, and Healing ”

Course lecture in ANTH 174: Culture Health and Healing. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont

Class lecture, for ideas surrounding the impact of stress on health, what models exist, and how various social constructs and disparities impact the level of stress and overall mental health of the patient.

Shea, Jeanne. 2020 “Tips for Ethnographic Interviewing” Course Materials, ANTH 174.

University of Vermont, Burlington VT.

Blackboard handout concerning principles and methods for Ethnographic and Interviewing and Analysis. In the service learning training the guides states that it is very important to make the interview you feel as comfortable as possible and this handout gives several tips to help make the process easier.

Singer, Merrill and Hans Baer. 2012. “Chapter 6: Health Disparity, Health Inequality”.

Introducing Medical Anthropology-A Discipline in Action. Second Edition. AltaMira Press. United Kingdom.

Assigned reading in class, for evidence of income disparities related to poor health and access to medical care. This resource also talks about the effects of age on access to healthcare in different demographics.

Appendix

CODED Interview with Rita Paulson

Student Name: M. L.

Transcription completed on October 28, 2020

Coding completed November 18, 2020

Interview Table of Contents

Demographic information

Living in SASH—housing situation

Pandemic Effects—everyday life

Pandemic Effects—coping mechanisms

Pandemic Effects—resource availability

Living in SASH—nurses and health care

Personal Experiences—change in social life

Personal Experiences— finding connections and other social activities

Personal Experiences— resources for emotional and social support

Living in SASH— resources available

Living in SASH—events, holidays, and visitors

Personal Experiences—connecting remotely

Personal Experiences—animal support

Living in SASH—remote and virtual activities

Living in SASH—distancing

Personal Experiences—challenging situations

Personal Experiences—life history

Personal Experiences—looking forward and advice for the future

Interview Setting Field Notes

The interview was conducted over phone on 10/18/2020 at 5:00 pm. Rita Paulson (pseudonym) was the respondent and was calling from one of the SASH (Support and Services at Home) apartments in Chittenden County via her landline. M. L., the interviewer, was calling Rita on her cell phone and recording using her laptop. The sound quality is a little rough as Rita’s portion of the call was recorded on the speaker phone setting, so the sound coming in from her end of the was a little rough. After confirming that Rita had time for the interview, understood the study, was okay with recording the audio, and confirmed that she wanted to proceed with the questions-the interview began. Rita talked about how the pandemic has effected her life and what her experience living at SASH has been like throughout this time. The interviewer and interviewee were each alone, the atmosphere was benevolent, and the interview went well overall. The recorded section of the interview lasted around forty minutes while the entire phone conversation was roughly an hour.

Transcription Notes

All names in this transcript have been changed to pseudonyms unless it is a public figure that is being named. Anything mentioned about birthdates has been changed to just year of birth. Anything about addresses or contact information has been removed.

Key to Interview Codes:

[HOME TYPE] - Interviewee discusses whether they live in a SASH apartment or non-SASH housing like their own freestanding home.

[COUNTY LIVE IN] - Interviewee tells whether they live in Chittenden County or in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.

[WHO LIVE WITH] - Interviewee talks about who they live with in their apartment or home.

[PHONE OR CELLPHONE CONNECTION] - Interviewee talks about the quality of their phone connection.

[BROADBAND OR WIFI] - Interviewee talks about the quality of their broadband or wifi connection.

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE] - Interviewee discusses a positive experience during the pandemic.

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE] - Interviewee discusses a negative experience during the pandemic.

[ROUTINE] - Interviewee discusses whether and how their routine has changed during the pandemic.

[COPING] - Interviewee talks about how they have been coping during the pandemic.

[HELPFUL FOR COPING] - Interviewee discusses what has been helpful for coping during the pandemic.

[WISHES] - Interviewee talks about resources, supports, services or programs they wish they had during the pandemic.

[SOCIAL LIFE] - Interviewee describes their social life during the pandemic.

[SOCIAL ISOLATION] - Interviewee discusses ways they have felt socially isolated during the pandemic.

[LONELINESS] - Interviewee discusses ways they have felt lonely during the pandemic.

[SOCIAL CONNECTION] - Interviewee discusses ways they have felt socially connected during the pandemic.

[STRATEGIES CONNECT] - Interviewee discusses their strategies for getting a feeling of social connection during the pandemic?

[SOCIAL SUPPORT] - - Interviewee discusses giving or receiving social support during the pandemic.

[REMOTE TECH USE] - - Interviewee discusses their remote communications technology use.

[WANTS TECH TRAINING] - Interviewee said they would like training in remote technology use.

[SASH PARTICIPATE] - Interviewee tells the SASH activities they have participated in during the pandemic.

[SASH HELPFUL] - Interviewee discusses which SASH activities have been helpful during the pandemic.

[MISS @ SASH] - Interviewee discusses a SASH activity that they have missed during the pandemic.

[IDEA NEW SASH] - Interviewee suggests ideas for new activities they wish SASH would offer.

[REMOTE ACTIVITIES] - Interviewee discusses how they feel about remote activities.

[LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT] - - Interviewee discusses meaning of pandemic in life history context.

[FUTURE HOPES] - Interviewee discusses what they hope to do when the pandemic is over.

De-Identified Transcript

After getting confirmation from Rita that she was okay with being recorded.

Interviewer: Awesome. So do you have any questions before we start?

Respondent: I don’t think so.

Interviewer: Okay, so to start off with, I’d just like to ask you some demographic questions. How long have you been in the SASH program?

Respondent: I think it’s been about 5 years.

Interviewer: Nice.

Respondent: Have they been here about that long? Yeah it’s been about five years.

Interviewer: Nice. And may I ask, what is your current age?

Respondent: I’m gonna be 80 next month.

Interviewer: Whoo! That’s awesome.

Respondent: [laughs] I’m 79 right now but I’ll be 80.

Interviewer: And are you living in Chittenden county or the Northeast Kingdom? [COUNTY LIVE IN]

Respondent: Chittenden.

Interviewer: Nice. And do you live in a SASH apartment building or your own home?

[HOME TYPE]

Respondent: I live in, it’s…senior housing.

Interviewer: Oh cool! And how- do you live with anyone else or-

Respondent: No.

Interviewer: -are you alone?

[WHO LIVE WITH]

Respondent: Nope. I mean there are other people in the building that have the same apartments like I do, but I don’t live with anyone in particular.

Interviewer: Gotcha.

Respondent: Yup.

Interviewer: So how far do you live from your nearest neighbors? Are they like right next door? Or on a different floor?

[WHO LIVE WITH]

Respondent: Right next door [laughs]

Interviewer: Okay [laughs]

[SOCIAL LIFE]

Respondent: Well I have one on one side and one on the other side, and then across the street or across the hall I have another one. It’s pretty convenient really.

Interviewer: Nice, and how is your access to transportation?

Respondent: Well I use, I’m gonna try to use the SST-is that how you say it?

Interviewer: Yeah, I think so?

[SOCIAL LIFE]

Respondent: Yeah, I wanna try to use that because my friend who is 91 years old, and he lives downstairs on the first floor, and uh, he’s been sickly, so he’s gonna give up his license.

Interviewer: Gotcha.

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE] [ROUTINE] [SOCIAL LIFE] [SOCIAL CONNECTION]

Respondent: Yeah, that’s how I get over to Hannafords, or sometimes I even walk. And my niece comes from St. Albans on Saturday to take me to the store.

Interviewer: Oh that’s nice!

Respondent: Yes, yup.

Interviewer: And how good is your phone connection where you live?

[PHONE OR CELLPHONE CONNECTION] [REMOTE TECH USE]

Respondent: Oh it’s good.

Interviewer: Uh huh.

[PHONE OR CELLPHONE CONNECTION] [REMOTE TECH USE]

Respondent: I-I never have any problems. I think some of the people have, because they have cell phones, but I don’t have a cell phone, just a regular phone.

Interviewer: Okay. And do you use the internet at all? Do you have a broadband service?

[BROADBAND OR WIFI] [REMOTE TECH USE]

Respondent: Nope. I don’t have no, no computer.

Interviewer: Nice. Okay, so moving onto your experiences with the pandemic, what has COVID-19 been like for you?

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE]

Respondent: I hated it! I don’t like that program-or that thing. It, it kept us confined to much in here. We weren’t able to go out at all and they wanted us to wear a mask all the time. And I just didn’t like it, I don’t like it at all.

Interviewer: I agree with you. And are you still doing all of those things? Like quarantining? Or are you able to get out?

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE] [SOCIAL LIFE] [SASH PARTICIPATE]

Respondent: No we can can get out now. Though we still have to wear a mask. When this first started, this program, that pandemic thing, they closed everything down so we weren’t able to even use our downstairs! Our community room!

Interviewer: Wow.

[ROUTINE] [SOCIAL ISOLATION] [SASH PARTICIPATE] [MISS @ SASH]

Respondent: They just opened that up, I think, last week, so we can at least go down there and visit. Some people used to go outdoors in the summer time, and they were able to use that. But I don’t like that program at all. They took everything away from us, it seems like it did.

Interviewer:And how else has the pandemic changed your daily life?

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE] [ROUTINE] [SOCIAL LIFE] [MISS @ SASH]

Respondent: Like I said, my friend, we used to go grocery shopping in different places together, and now that he’s…he’s sick, he can’t do much of anything, so they take the money away from ‘em. We can’t do nothing!

Interviewer: And out of everything what do you think has been the worst thing that’s happened for you?

Respondent: Me?

Interviewer:Mmhmm.

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE] [ROUTINE] [SOCIAL ISOLATION]

Respondent: I think not being able to go out. I’ve been staying, I’ve had to stay in this room.

Interviewer: Yeah that’s rough.

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE] [SOCIAL ISOLATION]

Respondent: I think that’s been the worst thing. Because it’s hard to stay in a four-bedroom apartment. What’re you gonna do all day, ya know?

Interviewer: Yeah.

[COPING] [HELPFUL FOR COPING]

Respondent: I watch television, and I play cards or…to myself, Solitaire or something. Then I have, what do they call those books, that, you know that you can do a puzzle in?

Interviewer: Oh yeah, is it like Sudoku? Or..umm..crosswords?

Respondent: Um no, I don’t know what the name of the thing is I forgot the name of it is but you can do puzzles in it, fill it in with pencils…and yup.

Interviewer: And has that been helpful in coping with the pandemic?

[COPING] [HELPFUL FOR COPING]

Respondent: Yup. I do that. Yup.

Interviewer: And have you had another other resources or support services during the pandemic?

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE]

Respondent: No, I don’t have nothing. Well, I did have uhh..food stamps. Is that what they call it? They call it something else now. But they took it all away from me. The reason, I don’t know.

Interviewer: Huh.

Respondent: I don’t, that forty one dollars a month. For food. And I was getting almost two hundred.

Interviewer: Wow. That’s a big difference.

Respondent: Yes. And I’m telling you, when you go grocery shopping, and you probably know it-but the food is so expensive!

Interviewer: It is! Especially in Vermont.

Respondent: You know you buy exactly what you need and that’s it.

Interviewer: Mmhmm. .

Respondent: Because it is so expensive.

Interviewer: Mmhmm.

Respondent: And then I’m on section 8 for my rent, which is a wonderful help. The rent here is 995 a month.

Interviewer:That’s a lot.

Respondent: Yeah, yeah. And on my…uh…income, I don’t make very much, I only make a little over a thousand dollars a month.

Interviewer: So that leaves…five dollars?

Respondent: No. What I make a month is a thousand three-hundred dollars. That’s what I make a month. So I don’t have much left after I get done with paying bills and whatever.

Interviewer: Are there any kinds of resources you wish you had during this time? Like maybe more money for groceries?

[SASH HELPFUL][REMOTE ACTIVITIES]

Respondent: No, they, they had different programs here where they would send you to get food and stuff like that, so it was very helpful. You know. Some of the food stuff we didn’t care to much about [laughs].

Interviewer: Uh huh.

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE] [SOCIAL CONNECTION]

Respondent: But, I don’t know what else to tell you. I think SASH is a good program. You know, we have a nurse that’s right here in the unit. Downstairs, she has her office downstairs. Stephanie Marshall’s (pseudonyms) her name. And she’s WONDERFUL! But she’s leaving next month.

Interviewer: Oh no!

Respondent: Yeah. She’s going to Arizona. Her husband got out for a really fancy job down there so that’s where they’re going to go.

Interviewer: So are you going to get a new nurse? Or…

Respondent: Yeah we probably will.

Interviewer: Okay.

Respondent: Yup. Yeah, she used to take my blood pressure for me, and things that I needed to get done she would do. She’s a nice, nice girl.

Interviewer: I’m glad to hear that.

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE]

Respondent: Yes she is, oh she’s wonderful. Yup. And then I go over here to Apple Tree Day for my physicals and if I have anything wrong with me and all that, and that’s a nice place too.

Interviewer: Mmhmm.

Respondent: Yeah. And I had COPP so you’ll probably hear me cough every now and then.

Interviewer: No worries.

Respondent: But it’s getting better.

Interviewer: That’s good.

Respondent: Yup.

Interviewer: I hear music in the background, is there someone performing?

Respondent: No, I’m playing the TV.

Interviewer: Ah gotcha.

Respondent: I’ve got the TV on, it’s a cowboy movie. [laughs] I like cowboy movies.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite?

Respondent: I…no not really I just watch all of them [laughs]!

Interviewer: [laughs]

Respondent: I do.

Interviewer: I’m originally from South Dakota so…

Respondent: Oh you are?

Interviewer: …there’s quite a lot of cowboys in that area.

Respondent: Well that’s nice.

Interviewer: Well is there…

Respondent: Well I don’t know what else to tell you, dear.

Interviewer: Well have there been any silver linings for you in this pandemic? Anything that’s a

little bit better than before.

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE]

Respondent: No. No. Because the president, he took everything away from us!

Interviewer: Mmhmm.

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE]

Respondent: I don’t like that. It’s hard to manage your, you know, to get things you would like to get, but the way things are now, everything is so expensive, that now…nothing’s helping us.

Interviewer: Well, hopefully some things will change after the election.

Respondent: Yes. Yup. Let’s hope.

Interviewer: And has your social life changed at all during the pandemic? Are you seeing more or less people?

[ROUTINE] [SOCIAL LIFE]

Respondent: Well, we did, we did at first because they kept us basically to our own rooms. And…but now I see the people and I do my laundry downstairs and in the hallway where I see people. Yup.

Interviewer: And have you enjoyed or disliked your alone time?

Respondent: What honey?

Interviewer: Have you liked the extra alone time or not?

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE] [LONELINESS]

Respondent: No I don’t like it, I go to bed early.

Interviewer:[laughs] Me too.

[ROUTINE] [COPING]

Respondent: I got to bed about 7:30, 8 o’clock. Yup. Cause the days are too long. Yup

Interviewer: Mmhmm. And are you able to see family and friends? I know you mentioned your niece comes up on the weekends?

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE][SOCIAL CONNECTION]

Respondent: Oh yeah, she comes up all the time. Yup.

Interviewer: Oh good.

Respondent: Yeah, and my sister lives in Winooski, but she has Alzheimer’s so she kinda sticks to home.

Interviewer: Mmhmm. Have you been able to connect with anyone else? People in your apartment or the community?

[ROUTINE]

Respondent: Well, I used to go over to the center. Ah, a lot, before this all happened and…I don’t know. It got kinda boring. I guess [laughs]. Well I think you age has a lot to do with it, ya know?

Interviewer: Mmhmm.

Respondent: You get, you can be a certain age and it gets hard to do things. It is. I feel.

Interviewer: Mmhmm. And I know you mentioned this earlier but have you had fewer or more activities available to you? Like you mentioned puzzles…

[ROUTINE] [NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE]

Respondent: Well it’s hard to do more activities now, we had them before, oh! We did have them before, but it’s uh…pandemic came in here…[incoherent]…we couldn’t do nothing. Yup, but we’re now staring to do exercise again, and other things. Yup. Like they stopped the bingo.

Interviewer: Oh no!

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE] [ROUTINE] [COPING] [SASH PARTICIPATE] [SASH HELPFUL] [MISS @ SASH]

Respondent: Yeah that was a big thing for me. I LOVE bingo. Yup and they stopped doing all those payment things, what ever you call ‘em, but they’ve now started it up again and that’s wonderful. It’s on Tuesday afternoons from two to four and on Wednesday afternoons from two to four. And that’s just wonderful I love it!

Interviewer: Do you have any good bingo tips?

Respondent: [Laughs] Not really. [laughs]

Interviewer: Just hope for the best? [laughs]

Respondent: But I win a lot!

Interviewer: Well that’s good!

[SOCIAL LIFE] [MISS @ SASH]

Respondent: I do! Yeah I like that. My friend who lives downstairs on the first floor, he used to be the caller. He’s not now because of his health, but he used to be the caller for bingo. We had a lot of fun together.

Interviewer: So since you’re not able to see as many people, have you felt socially isolated at all or lonely?

[SOCIAL LIFE] [SOCIAL ISOLATION] [SOCIAL SUPPORT] [SASH HELPFUL]

Respondent: Well, I can’t say I’m isolated, because we can go out now, ya know? If you wanna go someplace you can go without…you know running or saying to the manager or whatever or things like that but…no I don’t feel like I’m isolated at all.

Interviewer: That’s good.

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE]

Respondent: Well, I’m good here. I really like it here.

Interviewer: I’m glad. [pause] And compared with a few years before the pandemic began, would you say you’re more or less lonely than you are now?

[LONELINESS]

Respondent: Well, I’m less lonely now, than I was when this beginning stuff was on. ‘Cause I know it’s still here, but it’s not as bad as it used to be.

Interviewer: Yeah.

Respondent: When they first started with this, whatever, happened.

Interviewer: And Vermont’s doing really good now too.

Respondent: Yup, yup.

Interviewer: [Pause] Umm…let’s see, have you been able to find any ways to feel a sense of like togetherness or social connection?

[ROUTINE] [SOCIAL LIFE] [SOCIAL SUPPORT] [SASH PARTICIPATE] [SASH HELPFUL] [MISS @ SASH]

Respondent: Well, like I said, they had stopped us from going downstairs. To see the community room, and we used to like that—all of us liked that. And we’d go down, maybe someone would go down in the afternoon or go at night and we’d sit there and just talk and stuff like that, ya know? And it was fun, it was interesting! And then you had the ones that would complain all the time [laughs] so that’s fun too! [laughs]

Interviewer: [laughs]

Respondent: But so, we had a good time. I like it here.

Interviewer: Oh good.

[SASH HELPFUL]

Respondent: Yeah. I’ve had a few, uh supervisors come and go but…the one we have now is Alice (pseudonym). Oh my god she’s so wonderful! Yeah, she’s, well she’s kinda young, she’s a lot younger than where I am-

Interviewer:[laughs]

Respondent: -but we get along.

Interviewer: Nice.

Respondent: So I like that.

Interviewer: And lets see-

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE] [ROUTINE]

Respondent: And I go visit her, oh just about every morning. She didn’t, she comes to work in the morning and goes downstairs and I go visit her. I’ll say “I’m here again!”, “Oh my goodness!” She says, “Here you are!” [laughs]. But we have a lot of fun.

Interviewer: How many people would you say work in SASH, that you interact with?

Respondent: In SASH?

Interviewer: Yeah.

Respondent: Boy. I don’t know how many people work in SASH. But uh…I think Jen works there…and I don’t, I don’t know all the people that work there. I know Stephanie does, she’s our nurse. And Alice. And Margret (pseudonym), they all go to SASH. They have, well, I think it’s once a week during the panic thing, they were doing phone calls, uh phone conversations, with everybody. If you wanted to join it you could. But it was all on the telephone.

Interviewer: Did you do any of them?

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE] [REMOTE TECH USE] [SASH PARTICIPATE]

Respondent: Uh, I gave one a try, I didn’t like that. You give me to many people talking at the same time, ya know? And that’s hard to hear and stuff. Yeah. I didn’t like that at all. And we didn’t have to do it if you didn’t want to. I didn’t care to do that.

Interviewer: And have you received-

[ROUTINE] [SOCIAL LIFE] [SASH PARTICIPATE] [SASH HELPFUL] [MISS @ SASH]

Respondent: But like I say, we do, my friend and I we go to-we have tickets lined up, five dollars, tickets are five dollars, and we can go to lots of different restaurants. And we used to go a lot to different restaurants.

Interviewer: Mmhmm.

Respondent: That’s what I like. Yup.

Interviewer: Did you have a favorite?

Respondent: Yes, I like the, uh, iHop and I like the, uh Olive Garden.

Interviewer: Mmhmm, those are both good.

[ROUTINE]

Respondent: And I uh…I like uh…Zachary’s Pizza, but I think the tickets, you have to pay a bit more for there, but I LOVE Zachary’s Pizza. They’re very good. And it’s only down the street, now it ain’t very far from here. Yeah. The church isn’t very far from here either, it’s just across the street. That’s the Catholic Church, I’m not catholic but it’s very nice. I go over when something’s going or something. I always … [incoherent] Catholic or not. You can join, you can still have fun. Yup.

Interviewer: Has the church offered like any form of social or emotional support?

[ROUTINE] [SOCIAL LIFE] [SOCIAL SUPPORT]

Respondent: Oh yeah they offer breakfast, I think it’s every Sunday morning…for sure.

Interviewer: That’s nice.

Respondent: You can go over there and eat, you can have anything you want, and it’s just a

donation, whatever you feel you want to give.

Interviewer: Mmhmm.

[ROUTINE] [SASH PARTICIPATE]

Respondent: Yup, and that’s very nice. And I don’t know what other activities they do…they’re having a garage sale or uh a sale over there, I can’t remember. They have quite a few sales over there. We usually have one here, but we’re not going to have it this year because of the COVID thing.

Interviewer: Oh, yeah.

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE] [MISS @ SASH]

Respondent: Yup. So they, were not gonna…and that’s another thing that bothered me, I don’t know about anybody else, but it was the Holidays…

Interviewer: Mmhmm.

[MISS @ SASH]

Respondent: You know we can’t have nothing here now, we still can’t. Halloween, they’re not doing Halloween. That was one of our big ones.

Interviewer: Do the kids normally come up and visit and trick or treat?

Respondent: Yup, yup, and they call it the big house.

Interviewer: [laughs] That’s cute.

[SOCIAL LIFE] [SASH PARTICIPATE] [MISS @ SASH]

Respondent: They go to the ‘big house’. Yup. But they can’t come this year. And they like Christmas coming up, we used to host it downstairs, during Christmas, that was very nice. But it’s just the little things like that break up our regular schedule.

Interviewer: Yeah.

Respondent: Yup.

Interviewer: Are you going to be able to see anyone for Thanksgiving? Like will your family come up?

[SOCIAL LIFE]

Respondent: Yeah I’ll probably go to my niece’s. Yup. And she lives in St. Albans.

Interviewer: Okay. Very nice.

Respondent: They usually come and get me.

Interviewer: And have you been able to connect with her or anybody else remotely? Like…with phone calls or Zoom, Skype? Although you mentioned you don’t have internet connection so…

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE] [ROUTINE] [COPING] [HELPFUL FOR COPING] [SOCIAL LIFE] [SOCIAL CONNECTION] [STRATEGIES CONNECT] [REMOTE TECH USE]

Respondent: Nope, but I call her on the telephone. I call every Saturday night, my sister. And my friends, I call my friends. Yup.

Interviewer: And how is-

Respondent: A lot of them don’t have internet either, they don’t have computers so…

Interviewer: Has it been-

[SOCIAL CONNECTION]

Respondent: So we gab away. [laughs]

[REMOTE TECH USE]

Interviewer: Has it been difficult to connect with them remotely? Or have you been able to stay in contact?

Respondent: No, not really. Nope not really.

Interviewer: Oh that’s good.

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE] [SOCIAL CONNECTION]

Respondent: And then I’m taking care of a cat right now.

Interviewer: Cute!

Respondent: It’s my friend’s cat. He’s still, but anyways, the cat has only three legs.

Interviewer: Awww

Respondent: And she is just the best little thing, she will, she was uh abandoned, and she was uh,

what do they call it, uh…they were mean to her and whatnot…

Interviewer: Abused?

Respondent: Yeah abused, yup. But she’s so good now, oh she’s cute. Her name is Millie.

Interviewer: Aww, that’s adorable.

Respondent:[laughs] She’s a little bit timid, and she’s like if anyone knocks outside the door or something, she’ll run under the bench. Yup. But she’s awfully cute [laughs].

Interviewer: And do a lot of people in the building have animals?

Respondent: We have a lot of cats, yup, yup. Except they’re inside cats. They don’t go outdoors, yup. And they have some that have dogs, but uh the dogs, some of them, well they’re not ugly but they’re [laughs]

Interviewer: [laughs]

Respondent: they bark. A lot. Darn dogs. But uh, it’s not too bad. But I live way up here on the third floor, so I don’t hear all the noise at all, so that’s good for me.

Interviewer: Mmhmm!

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE] [SASH PARTICIPATE]

Respondent: Oh yeah, and another thing they had in the summertime is if you want you can plant your own garden.

Interviewer: Ohh!

Respondent: They make, they had places for us to have gardens. Yup.

Interviewer: Did you plant anything?

Respondent: Pardon me?

Interviewer: Did you plant anything?

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE]

Respondent: No, I haven’t no, no. ‘Cause it’s too hard for me to do it. But anyways, my friends did it for me, they give me tomatoes and cucumbers and all that stuff.

Interviewer: Nice!

Respondent: I like that. But they know I can’t bend over much so, they help me. [chuckles] And I have a walker, yup.

Interviewer: Mmhmm.

Respondent: Yup, but listen….

[REMOTE TECH USE] [SASH PARTICIPATE]

Interviewer: And so, if you don’t mind I’m going to move onto SASH activities specifically. So have you participated in any remote SASH activities? I know you mentioned the phone call, but have they offered anything else that’s virtual?

Respondent: Boy…you know I don’t know. I don’t…I don’t know.

Interviewer: If they offered-

Respondent: They might. They might, but I just don’t go to them.

[REMOTE TECH USE]

Interviewer: Yeah. If they offered like a remote training for how to use a compu

ter and like Skype—

[REMOTE ACTIVITIES]

Respondent: Oh I don’t like that stuff!

Interviewer: So stick with phone calls?

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE] [REMOTE TECH USE] [SOCIAL SUPPORT] [SASH PARTICIPATE] [REMOTE ACTIVITIES]

Respondent: I don’t like stuff on the computers so I’m not really interested in computers. So I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t go into that. But they do offer stuff for people if they want to go. Yup. I think. I think there’s a couple of people here that go to that…oh virtual daycare. But I don’t go to that. But there’s a lot, about three or four people that go to that. But I don’t know what they do because I’ve never been there. [SOCIAL CONNECTION]

Interviewer: Uh huh. And now that things are opening up a bit more do they have any like distanced activities you can go to?

[STRATEGIES CONNECT]

Respondent: Oh yeah, we can go to stuff now.

Interviewer: What are some of the things they offer?

Respondent: Oh, I like, like I told you I like bingo.

Interviewer: Uh huh.

Respondent:That’s my bingo, I LOVE to go play bingo.

Interviewer: [laughs]

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE] [ROUTINE] [SOCIAL LIFE] [SASH PARTICIPATE] [SASH HELPFUL]

Respondent: If they had it every night that’s where I’d be [laughs]. Yup, and now Alice has an exercise class. It’s a down exercise class every Friday at 10:30 and I go to that, I like that.

Interviewer: Nice.

[ROUTINE] [SOCIAL LIFE] [SOCIAL SUPPORT] [SASH PARTICIPATE]

Respondent: So I go to that. We have meetings and stuff that we can go to if we want to, and things like that. And they had more at the center, like they had yoga and all that stuff, but I don’t like that.

Interviewer: And are there any new activities that you wished they’d offer?

Respondent: Pardon me?

[WISHES]

Interviewer: Are there any new activities you wish they’d offer?

[WISHES] [ROUTINE] [SOCIAL LIFE] [SASH PARTICIPATE]

Respondent: No, no. I used to before, before I got old, I used to square dance. And they used to have square dancing.

Interviewer: Ooh!

Respondent: Wasn’t [incoherent]…but I don’t know if they have that anymore. But we used to have fun just the same.

Interviewer: Did you ever do contra dancing? Besides square dancing?

Respondent: No.

Interviewer: I think they’re pretty similar, I just started getting into it last year and I really miss it.

Respondent: Oh really? I don’t know…like I say, when you’re older it’s hard to go to places. Because we don’t like to go out in the dark. And a lot of things are in the evening too. But I don’t, I don’t know. We don’t like going out in the dark or stuff.

Interviewer: No…do you have access to a car at all or do you mostly just have access to public transportation or walking?

Respondent: Yup, that’s what I do. Walk or transportation.

Interviewer: Gotcha.

Respondent: ‘Cause I don’t have a car. Nope.

[LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT]

Interviewer: And going onto the next session, for the pandemic and your life in general…How does your experience with the pandemic compare to other, other challenging times you’ve faced in your life?

[LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT]

Respondent: Wow. I think this was the hardest. Yup.

Interviewer: Mmhmm. How so?

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE] [LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT]

Respondent: Because we’re isolated. You know, they wouldn’t let you go out. It’s things like that and that’s something that most people here didn’t like about it. So…I don’t know. I…I…well we all felt isolated because we weren’t allowed to go out. You know.

Interviewer: And have you-

Respondent: But-

Interviewer: -oh go ahead.

[LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT]

Respondent: It’s much better now. What dear? What’d you say?

Interviewer: Ope, keep going!

Respondent: Eh?

Interviewer: Umm…I was just wondering if there’s other really challenging situations you’ve faced in your life?

[LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT]

Respondent: No. I worked, all my life, I worked for thirty-eight years at the Medical Center.

Interviewer:Oh wow!

Respondent: I was a nurse. I was there for thrift-eight years.

Interviewer: Did you specialize in anything?

Respondent: Well, I wished—I didn’t but I wished I would’ve. I LOVE working with mentally restarted children. And I never had children of my own. But that’s one thing that I wished I would’ve done. But I don’t know, for some reason I never did. Yeah. But that was the main thing right there. I-I like working with mentally retarded children. Yup.

Interviewer: That’s amazing.

Respondent: I just think they’re, they are smart! They really are, ya know? I mean they can get ugly and all that stuff, but they are very, very smart children. And you can teach them too! Good kids, yup. We were, we used to have this kid that would come here, to see his grandmother. And uh, his name was, Ethan (pseudonym) I think, yeah Ethan. And every time he saw me, every time, he would come over “I can get a HUG!”, “I know you do!” So I’d give him a hug, and he’d put his hand on top of my head and sort of curl my hair, you know, and fluff it up or something.

Interviewer: That’s cute.

Respondent: His grandmother, would used to say “You’re not supposed to do that Ethan!” [laughs] But he was a good boy too. He’s a very good kid.

Interviewer: That’s cute. [pause] So as you think of your life as a whole, from when you were little to now, what kind of meaning would you say the pandemic holds for you? If any?

Respondent: Nothing. Nope. [pause]. I did not like it. And my life, my life back then, years ago was okay. We were fine. But I don’t care for it now.

Interviewer: Mmhmm. [pause] What do you look forward to doing when this pandemic is finally over?

[FUTURE HOPES]

Respondent: Well, I don’t know [laughs] I probably won’t even be around! I don’t know. [laughs] I’m eight now, so, almost. I really don’t know. I won’t do anything spectacular that’s for sure.

Interviewer: A giant bingo tournament maybe?

Respondent: I don’t know if I would go to that. [both laugh] I go to our bingo, I like that.

Interviewer: Mmhmm.

[ROUTINE] [FUTURE HOPES]

Respondent: And if I feel like it I walk over to Hannafords. Over to, uh…bingo or over there, if I want to go over there, they have bingo over at the center on Tuesdays also. But theirs is penny bingo, and ours is regular bingo.

Interviewer: Mmhmm.

Respondent: So…but…life goes on I guess.

Interviewer: Yup. Do you have any words of wisdom for a young college student?

[LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT]

Respondent: Well, one thing I think that I can probably say to you is “Stick with whatever you want to be doing.” If you want to be a nurse, be a nurse. If you want to be a doctor, go for the doctor. Or whatever you want to do, just go for it.

Interviewer:Mmhmm.

Respondent: That’s everything I can say. Do what YOU want to do, don’t let other people tell

you what to do. Nope.

Interviewer: That’s good advice. And is there anything else you want to tell me or anything else I forgot to ask?

Respondent: No, I think that’s it, I’m all set dear. This was very interesting, it was very nice!

Interviewer: Yeah, thank you so much for talking with me and taking the time for this interview!

I definitely learned a lot.

Respondent: That’s alright, it was, it was very interesting. Yup. And I will let Annie know that we did it.

Interviewer:Thank you!

Respondent: She’s the one that asked me if I would do it. I say “yeah, I’ll do it” [laughs].

Interviewer: Overall, have you enjoyed your time at SASH?

Respondent: Pardon me?

Interviewer: Have you liked your time at SASH?

[SASH PARTICIPATE] [SASH HELPFUL]

Respondent: Yes, I like my place. Yes, yes I do.

Interviewer: How did you hear about it? Did somebody recommend you or did you just find out about it?

[LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT]

Respondent: No it was, I think it was…I think it might’ve been in the paper, I’m not sure. I know when my husband was living he always said to me, “Rena, if something happened to me, I’d like you to go into senior housing.” I said, “Well, maybe I will, I don’t know, we’ll see.” That was years ago, and now, he passed away in ’05 and I said “Well, maybe I will try it”. I tired going into a trailer, I didn’t like it. Got out of there. I tried going into an apartment on the street, you know, outside of here, I didn’t like it. So I said, “Well, let me try this place”. And I love it!

Interviewer: Yay! I’m glad.

[ROUTINES] [SASH HELPFUL] [FUTURE HOPES]

Respondent: Yeah, I really like it too. Yup. I’m by myself, and like I say, I can do what I want to do. If I want to, ya know? I can have somebody over and we, we can eat together or whatever. And it’s a good time. And that’s the end of it.

Interviewer: Nice! Well, thank you so much for talking with me, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your Sunday.

Respondent: Thank you very much! And I uh, I appreciate you calling me too, that was very nice.

Interviewer: Thanks!

Respondent: Okay?

Interviewer: It was very nice to meet you, bye!

Respondent: I’m gonna have my supper, I’m gonna make my supper now.

Interviewer: Ooh what’s for dinner?

Respondent: I’m gonna have a salad, and I’m gonna have a piece of steak.

Interviewer: Nice, sound’s wonderful.

Respondent: Yup.

Interviewer: Okay, I think I might cook my dinner as well, so enjoy!

Respondent: Okay honey, I’ll talk to you later!

Interviewer: Bye!

Respondent: K, bye!

Coded Transcript Interview with Frank

Cassie Gordon

Professor Jeanne Shea

ANTH 174

Nov. 16, 2020

TOC, FN, Transcript

Field Notes:

~ I am talking to Frank on the phone, I called him from the number provided to me by my TA

~ I am alone in my room, Frank is alone in his apartment

~ This is being audio recorded on my computer, with consent from respondent

~ Frank has a heavy accent, and grammar is occasionally distracting

TOC:

How long have you been in the SASH program? 5 years

May I ask, what is your age? 57

Are you living in Chittenden County or the Northeast Kingdom? Chittenden County, Burlington

Do you live in a SASH apartment building or in your own freestanding home? Apartment

Who do you live with in your apartment or home? Alone

How far do you live from your nearest neighbors? In the building

How is your access to transportation? Walking, electric bike, SSTA, public transportation

How good your phone connection where you live? Good phone

How is your broadband service where you live? Good enough

What has this Covid-19 pandemic been like for you? Hard, but had been in relative isolation beforehand too.

Has the pandemic changed your daily life or routines at all, and if so, how? Some changes, but not too many because of isolation prior to the start of the pandemic. Not able to travel to the beach for winter.

If there were changes: How do you feel about these changes in routine? Sad about having to stay in VT for the winter.

How has the pandemic impacted you? Changes in routine, new technology.

For you, what have been the worst things about the pandemic? Not being able to travel, saying inside.

How have you been coping with the impacts of the pandemic? Watching TV, smoking weed, talking to family.

What have you found to be especially helpful to you for coping during the pandemic? Smoking.

What kinds of resources, supports, services, or programs have you wished you had during the pandemic? None

Is there anything that has been a silver lining for you about the pandemic? None

Anything that’s better than before the pandemic? If so, what? N/A

Has your social life changed at all during the pandemic? If so, how? Was pretty isolated beforehand, now feeling more afraid

Have you spent more or less time alone than usual? If so, how has that been for you? Sick before the pandemic started, used to spending time alone

Have you enjoyed or disliked your alone time? How so? Not a new part of his routine, not particularly enjoyable.

Do you get to see family or friends as often as before? As often you would like? Was seeing his children less often than usual and in different ways, outside in the parking lot with masks

Have you been able to connect with other people as often as before? As often you would like? Usually connects with people over the phone or on video call anyway

Have you had more or fewer activities available to you than usual? As many as you would like? Doesn’t usually participate in activities.

Have you felt lonely or socially isolated at all during the pandemic? How so? Yes, but comparable to before the pandemic

Compared with the couple years before the pandemic, during the pandemic have you felt more or less lonely or socially isolated? More isolated because he can’t leave his house

If you have felt at all lonely or socially isolated at any time during the pandemic:

How difficult has that been for you?

Are there any times of the day, week, or month you’ve felt more lonely? At night, especially now that the nights are long.

What kinds of things have you found help you to feel better at those times? Turning on the TV, smoking marijuana

What kinds of people have helped you to feel less lonely? SASH volunteers, Social Worker at CHC, kids

Have you felt a sense of togetherness or social connectedness during the pandemic? How so? Not particularly

Compared with the couple years before the pandemic, during the pandemic have you felt more or less of a sense of togetherness or social connectedness? Was not engaged in community activities before the pandemic.

What has helped you to feel a sense of togetherness or social connectedness during the pandemic? N/A

What have you been doing to stay socially connected during the pandemic? How has that been going? Talking to kids, family members on the phone

What have been some of the best ways you’ve found to socialize during the pandemic? Video calls

What kinds of social support have you received during the pandemic? What did that feel like? SASH volunteers calling, helping to set up online shopping, social worker at CHC helping to coordinate medications and doctors appointments.

What kinds of social support have you given to others during the pandemic? What did that feel like? N/A

How much have you used remote means to connect with others during the pandemic? Almost exclusively

Is this more or less than before the pandemic? About the same

Which remote means have you used to connect with others during the pandemic? Telephone, WhatsApp

Could you use any help or training in the use of any communications technology? If so, what? Received help already setting things up

Have you participated in any remote SASH activities in the pandemic? No

If not, why not? Not interested in the programs offered

Are there any pre-existing SASH activities disrupted by the pandemic that you miss? No

If not, why not? Went to pizza and a movie a couple times but didn’t stay for the movie since they did not suit his taste

Are there any new activities that you wish could be offered by SASH? Pinball machine in the common area

If so: What are they?

Do you think they would help you to feel more socially connected or less lonely if they reopened? Why? Why not? Yes, but he is concerned people will become addicted

If they were offered remotely, how likely is it that you would participate in them? Why? Why not? N/A

How does your experience of this pandemic compare with other challenging times of your life? Is it more challenging or less challenging? How so? More challenging now since he cannot leave his home.

As you think about your life as a whole from when you were little to this day, what kind of meaning would you say the pandemic holds for you, if any? That we need to learn from our mistakes and set a good example for future generations.

What do you look forward to doing when this pandemic is over? Go to someplace warm that has a beach.

Key to Codes:

Interview Codes:

[HOME TYPE] - Interviewee discusses whether they live in a SASH apartment or non-SASH housing like their own freestanding home.

[COUNTY LIVE IN] - Interviewee tells whether they live in Chittenden County or in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.

[WHO LIVE WITH] - Interviewee talks about who they live with in their apartment or home.

[PHONE OR CELLPHONE CONNECTION] - Interviewee talks about the quality of their phone connection.

[BROADBAND OR WIFI] - Interviewee talks about the quality of their broadband or wifi connection.

[POSITIVE EXPERIENCE] - Interviewee discusses a positive experience during the pandemic.

[NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE] - Interviewee discusses a negative experience during the pandemic.

[ROUTINE] - Interviewee discusses whether and how their routine has changed during the pandemic.

[COPING] - Interviewee talks about how they have been coping during the pandemic.

[HELPFUL FOR COPING] - Interviewee discusses what has been helpful for coping during the pandemic.

[WISHES] - Interviewee talks about resources, supports, services or programs they wish they had during the pandemic.

[SOCIAL LIFE] - Interviewee describes their social life during the pandemic.

[SOCIAL ISOLATION] - Interviewee discusses ways they have felt socially isolated during the pandemic.

[LONELINESS] - Interviewee discusses ways they have felt lonely during the pandemic.

[SOCIAL CONNECTION] - Interviewee discusses ways they have felt socially connected during the pandemic.

[STRATEGIES CONNECT] - Interviewee discusses their strategies for getting a feeling of social connection during the pandemic?

[SOCIAL SUPPORT] - - Interviewee discusses giving or receiving social support during the pandemic.

[REMOTE TECH USE] - - Interviewee discusses their remote communications technology use.

[WANTS TECH TRAINING] - Interviewee said they would like training in remote technology use.

[SASH PARTICIPATE] - Interviewee tells the SASH activities thye have participated in during the pandemic.

[SASH HELPFUL] - Interviewee discusses which SASH activities have been helpful during the pandemic.

[MISS @ SASH] - Interviewee discusses a SASH activity that they have missed during the pandemic.

[IDEA NEW SASH] - Interviewee suggests ideas for new activities they wish SASH would offer.

[REMOTE ACTIVITIES] - Interviewee discusses how they feel about remote activities.

[LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT] - - Interviewee discusses meaning of pandemic in life history context.

[FUTURE HOPES] - Interviewee discusses what they hope to do when the pandemic is over.

Transcript:

Interviewer: And we'll go over a little bit of the ways this study is going to run. First, just so, so before we get started, so this study is aiming to build an understanding of how sash participants have been experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic. The end goal is to help the SASH program assess what it's doing well and what it could do to improve in terms of programming for such participants, such as yourself. The study is a quality improvement research project in collaboration with professor Jeanne Shea of the anthropology department at UVM and Melissa Southwick, who is part of the sash program. You have been chosen to take part in this study because you are a SASH participant living either in Chittenden County or the Northeast Kingdom. We would like to understand sash participants, experiences of the pandemic and sash programming across these different geographic areas of Vermont. We're interested in the experiences of, of older adults living in either sash apartments or in their own freestanding home. Um, so for the next little bit, we're going to be talking about your experience of the pandemic and about sash services during this time. This was a mutually agreed upon time for a telephone call. I am, I'm a student in professor Shea's medical anthropology class at UVM. I'm part of this service learning course. So your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. There is no obligation for you to participate in this study, um, at any time during our, our conversation today, should you wish to withdraw from the study that is absolutely acceptable. There's no compensation associated with the participation in this research, um, and there are no costs to participate in this research either. You have the right to refuse to answer any questions. I will do everything possible to prevent a breach of confidentiality. After our interview, I will transcribe the interview and both the transcript and the audio will be stripped of any identifying information. The audio recording will be deleted after it has been transcribed. Any hard copies of anything will be stored in a secured password protected server, and any other copies will be kept in a locked box. If you have any further questions about the study, I'm happy to answer those now. Otherwise feel free to reach out to professor Jeanne Shea, or the director of research protections at UVM. Do you have any questions right now, Frank?

Frank: No.

Interviewer: Okay. So now we've got that out of the way we can get started with our conversation. So how long have you been part of the program?

Frank: I believe since I moved into the building, um, perhaps five years ago, four years ago.

Interviewer: That's a good long time! And may I ask how old you are?

Frank: I'm 57. Yeah, five seven.

Interviewer: Alright, and are you living in Chittenden County or the Northeast kingdom?

Frank: In Burlington. Chittenden County [COUNTY LIVE IN]

Interviewer: Great, all right. How are you liking it here?

Frank: Um, I like it I'm in downtown, a block away from the beach and a block away from Church street, so

Interviewer: That's perfect. So do you live in your own apartment building or in a freestanding home?

Frank: In an apartment building. [HOME TYPE]

Interviewer: And close to the beach too. That's perfect.

Frank: Yeah. Facing the lake, I live on the sixth floor. So the view, it’s a million dollar view.

Interviewer: Amazing of the Lake and the Adirondacks that's perfect.

Frank: Fireworks July the third and at the end of the year was part of the combo package.

Interviewer: Okay. That's right. An added bonus. And Frank, do you live alone or are other people living with you in your apartment alone?

Frank: I live alone. [WHO LIVE WITH]

Interviewer: Um, and do you have neighbors in the apartment building or people you know, in the same building as you?

Frank: Um, I know a few people hi and bye here and there.

Interviewer: Friendly faces. Yeah. And what's your access to transportation? Like, are you, are you able to drive or do you take the bus or are you able to walk?

Frank: I’m blind so other people don’t trust me with a driver’s license, so pretty much walking and I’ve lately being thinking about electric bicycle.

Interviewer: Oh, great! And do you have access to, um, a ride or ride share program to get to places like the grocery store or places that are a little bit far?

Frank: Uh, yeah, we use public transportation. I also can use as a SSTA. Um, so and worst comes to worst, you know, taxi cab, you know?

Interviewer: Right. Of course. Um, and has that been pretty easy to navigate the SSTA systems and the public transportation?

Frank: Uh, after I recoup a little bit of sight? Uh, yes, yes. Easier than before.

Interviewer: Good. Good. I'm glad to hear that. Um, and Frank were talking on the phone now is your phone connection pretty good where you live?

Frank: Yeah. [PHONE OR CELLPHONE CONNECTION]

Interviewer: And your wifi service, do you have wifi in your apartment?

Frank: I have wifi and this is a landline. Yeah. [BROADBAND OR WIFI] [PHONE OR CELLPHONE CONNECTION]

Interviewer: Yes. Okay. Okay. Um, and is your wifi pretty fast? You're able to...

Frank: I have a, I believe that I have like figuring seven gigabytes, I told my kids they are like warp speed it's enough to watch movies on Netflix or stream movies or emails. And sometimes when my kids are visiting me, they'll be on devices, you know, pretty well. So amazingly enough, seven gigabytes, there is not a lot of the, at least to me, that's covered a lot. [BROADBAND OR WIFI]

Interviewer: It works well enough.

Frank: Yeah.

Interviewer: How old are your kids, Frank?

Frank: Uh, 18 and 20.

Interviewer: That's so fun. Where do they live

Frank: They live in Shelburne.

Interviewer: That's wonderful. How often do you get to see them?

Frank: I'm on the weekends, on the weekends. [SOCIAL LIFE]

Interviewer: They're probably pretty busy with school and things right now.

Frank: Exactly, yeah.

Interviewer: So how has COVID-19, um, been for you? How have you been during this pandemic?

Frank: Well, I've been sick for a while and I was already secluded at home, um, before this thing started. And finally I had the chance to explore the outside when the COVID-19. I've been, uh, usually I'm not a winter person and I certainly live in the wrong state. Um, but usually on January to... I usually escape this state for at least two months in the winter time. And then I go someplace that is nice and warm, you know, summertime, someplace else. [LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT] [ROUTINE]

Interviewer: Where do you usually go?

Frank: I either go to Peru or Brazil in South America.

Interviewer: Okay. That's wonderful.

Frank: But uh, this year, um, it didn't happen and I, I still got my ticket, but there are no flights going into Peru or Brazil, but to say no. And, uh, it has affected a lot especially the feeling that, uh, now finally I can go out and now that the world is closed. [NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE]

Interviewer: Right, right. Yeah. I am sure that you're looking at the options for this winter to go to Peru or Brazil. Um, have you been able to find a ticket or made plans to travel or are you staying here this winter as well?

Frank: I would love to, but until there is a proven vaccine I'm not going anywhere. I would be going to Florida though. Florida is all messed up, I guess I will just put an extra jacket and withstand the winter in Vermont and be sort of safe than other places in the world. [NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE]

Interviewer: I completely understand. We are so lucky to be here in Vermont right now where the cases are low. And so those are, those are some big, big changes. Has the pandemic affected your daily life, your daily routines at all?

Frank: *long pause* I guess, yeah. Nothing is the same, so yeah. [ROUTINE]

Interviewer: Were there activities that you used to do during the days, like go to the library or go to the park or anything like that that you aren't able to do now?

Frank: I am pretty much restricting myself to go outside only if I have to. Doctor’s visits, the ones that are over the phone and let it be over the phone for groceries or InstaCart to bring groceries in. As much as I would like to explore outside, I guess that I'm afraid, I don't want to get sick. I know exactly what it is. I receive infusions to suppress my immune system. I should stay away as much as I can from any risks. So that’s what I’m going to do. [ROUTINE] [REMOTE TECH USE]

Interviewer: Yeah, absolutely. And it sounds like you are familiar with the services that can help you stay safe at home, like Instacart and those sorts of things that can deliver goods to you. And that's probably the safest way to go about it right now.

Frank: Yes.

Interviewer: So other than not being able to go away for the winter, uh, what have been the worst things about the pandemic?

Frank: Um, sometimes just to stay at home, within the four walls of my home. [SOCIAL ISOLATION]

Interviewer: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Frank: Uh, at the beginning, uh, when I saw that finally we are going to be able to go outside and go be under the sun, uh, we all had to be indoors. It got to a point that it was in, it was winter time, and I couldn't take it anymore and I wanted to stretch, but, uh, I wanted to, I know that it might sound ridiculous, but I had a 60 meter rope that I use to do repelling. I live on the sixth floor, as I say. And I was thinking about removing the mosquito screen out of my window, out of the sixth floor window with a harness, just to stretch, just to stretch out of the window. You know, out of my apartment, to have a little more space. I know that it might sound ridiculous. And the only reason that I didn't is because I couldn't remove the, uh, the mosquito screen, and I certainly wasn't thinking about breaking it. And the other thing was for any reason as I'm stretching, I'm releasing a little bit and it breaks, all I’m going is down it down, that is not a problem as I have 60 meters; not a sixth floor, but a 20 floor without any problem. But if I'm going down, I had to go, I have to pass through another five apartments window, which I shouldn’t. So those were the reasons that I didn't. But it did affect mentally to the point that I need to stretch. And I getting into all these scenarios. So it did affect in a way. So that that's like an example that I wanted to. [WISHES]

Interviewer: Yeah. It sounded like your, you were ready for getting out of the house for sure.

Frank: Yes. That's what I did, but if the risk is crossing somebody on the elevator or somebody in the street, you know, so…

Interviewer: There are a lot of, a lot of risky things to, to get through right now.

Frank: Right. And at the beginning we didn't know anything. So here we know a little bit and we still didn't feel so good because it keeps you sort of out of trouble.

Interviewer: Yeah. Sometimes that's what you need to stay to keep yourself at home is recognizing that it is dangerous out there. So, you said you would, you'd been feeling secluded before the pandemic as well. How have those feelings of seclusion changed since we were all needing to stay at home?

Frank: Well, I was secluded because I was sick. I couldn't go outside. I was on the heavy doses of steroids and didn't agree with me at all at all. It messed up in so many other ways that I don't know what will help, but in any event, um, pretty much I was just at home trying to get better. [LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT] And finally, I'm off of steroids and getting better. I'm out of a few medicines for the time. So although I'm still really, really sick, compared to, um, like, I’m immortal, now we're good! [POSITIVE EXPERIENCE]

Interviewer: Good, good. I'm glad to hear it. But it sounds like because of that, you've been needing to stay at home and be extra diligent and cautious, which must be hard.

Frank: Yeah. It is very, very hard.

Interviewer: Yeah. Would you ever describe your feelings as being lonely or particularly isolated?

Frank: Um, I feel isolated and lonely. Sometimes I would like to have a pet, but that responsibility of keeping up, uh, to keeping a healthy pet. So, I've got enough with keeping myself healthy. So maybe that kind of companion that's not a good choice. [LONELINESS] [WISHES]

Interviewer: It’s true that pets take a lot of work, but they are good companions for us too. Have you been able to see your family as often as before the pandemic or as often as you would like, or have they stayed in Shelburne for the most part?

Frank: Um, I always see them on Sundays, you know, if one of the two of them can’t I make it, maybe another day of the week. I would see my kids at least once a week for a couple of hours. [SOCIAL CONNECTION]

Interviewer: Good. And that's been the same through the pandemic and the same before the pandemic.

Frank: Um, when the pandemic started, there were some rules here in my building that, um, do you wish your limited visitors, so my kids stopped seeing me for about, maybe close to two months. They would have come over here and I would go to the parking lot and all stay away from each other. We spent a little time just to just say hello and see, you know, so right as close as we could, but, you know, at least a few minutes. So it was better than nothing, you know, that it was a big change from most of all Sunday long with them. [SOCIAL CONNECTION] [SOCIAL LIFE]

Interviewer: Yeah. That is a big change. Um, and besides your kids, have you been able to connect with other people as often before, or partake in the same amount of activities during, or now, during the pandemic as before the pandemic?

Frank: No, I really don't have no contact with other people than people that I might just cross paths with. [SOCIAL ISOLATION]

Interviewer: Right. And is that different from beforehand or since you were so sick before the pandemic even started, were you pretty isolated then too?

Frank: Yeah. It's been like that for 10 years. Yeah. [LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT]

Interviewer: Yeah. Okay. And have you been able to, to set up, um, things like, like Skype or FaceTime to call people with a video call while you couldn't see them?

Frank: Uh, other than family no. [REMOTE TECH USE]

Interviewer: No. And besides your kids, are you, are you able to communicate, do you have brothers or sisters or cousins that you can, that you talk to?

Frank: Yeah, I wouldn't say every week, but I, I contact my brothers and sisters, like all of them, maybe once a month, a lease, a lease. Right. [SOCIAL CONNECTION] [STRATEGIES CONNECT] [REMOTE TECH USE]

Interviewer: Good. Do they live close by,

Frank: Um, all of them they live in Peru. Yeah.

Interviewer: They live in Peru, so that's pretty far

Frank: Yeah. With a video call it’s like they stayed on the corner. That's the same thing. [REMOTE TECH USE]

Interviewer: That's right. That's right. Peru has been having a hard time with the pandemic too. How have your family been dealing with, with the changes going on in Peru right now?

Frank: Um, it was a nightmare cause my, my brother and my sister, well, my sister is not retired, but my brother retired not too long ago. And they've been traveling, you know, with their spouses, they got stuck in I think it was Bangkok, or they had to rent an apartment for a month. It was a nightmare. At the end it was paying a ticket from the Netherlands. They had to travel from Bangkok to the Netherlands because there was a plane from the Netherlands government that they were going to Peru to pick up tourists, that they were stranded from Machu Picchu which is the Inca city. The embassy in Peru it was notified people that if they will be able to pay for the ticket, um, we'll get you a ride. And they had to get to the airport in Amsterdam.

Interviewer: Yeah. But from Bangkok, that’s far.

Frank: No, they did. And they spent a fortune on the way back, but they got stranded in Bangkok for over a month and then they had to go to another country. And then, in that country, if they test positive, they had to pay a hundred thousand dollars per person that they will infect. They went on vacation and all of the sudden turn into the worst nightmare ever. My sister said she don’t even want to leave her home anymore.

Interviewer: Yes. Oh my gosh. Well, I'm so happy they’re home though.

Frank: To think things throughout the world, they affect people. And I think Peru are one of the worst countries. I think that they do it better than us, but it's still with nothing to compare it to.

Interviewer: I know. Are they still in lockdown in Peru right now?

Frank: Um, I believe so. I don't think that they have flights going in or out.

Interviewer: I think so. I think that's right. Wow. Well, that's a crazy story for them and I'm happy, they're home and safe because that could be really scary to be stuck in a foreign country in a time like this.

Frank: Exactly. Yes. Not knowing the language or,…

Interviewer: Right. It's very unfamiliar. So Frank, what other kinds of resources or supports or programs have you wished you'd had during the pandemic?

Frank: That I wish I had, um, I don't know. I think that I have pretty good help, I've got phone calls from Sandra, from SASH. She helped me set up the InstaCart because before I didn't know how to do it. Um, so that was a big help. I have a big problem with my medicines that there was a big mix up, but it's so many medicines and too many doctors, finally, it's kinda like a kind of control and it is back to normal, I guess. [SASH HELPFUL] [REMOTE TECH USE] [SOCIAL SUPPORT]

Interviewer: Good. Um, and have, have there been people from SASH that have been helping you with your medicines or has that been your doctors?

Frank: No, the community health center, in Burlington. Yeah, but I have many doctors at UVM hospital. There was a pharmacy and they will send me that a prescriber, doctor, it was all mixed up. To make a long story short, it was like two and a half months that I was without my medicines. [SOCIAL SUPPORT]

Interviewer: Frank, that is terrible.

Frank: It is, it is. And then that's when I called my doctor, my primary doctor, who is from the community health center. And then we switch to a new pharmacy and all this thing is because before I had control, because I had a talking label like medicines, like a chip, like the microchip and it had readers. So it would have scanned the microchip, with the medicine, who prescribed it, how many refills, the pharmacy name and the phone number and all the information that you needed. When my old pharmacy was bought by Walgreens, they didn't offer that service anymore, and that’s when I lost complete control of my medicines. I didn't know what I was taking when I was taking it. And it was a nightmare. But I do think that I did get help with that. And also when I need someone to fill out some papers or stuff like that, I try to use the social worker at the community health center, because although I can see with the magnifier in order to write something on a paper, I need to remove the magnifier to put down my pen and then I don't know, what am I pointing, which is the line that I'm writing it. To me writing a paper is like, it's nothing short of a nightmare sometimes to fill up an application or something like that. I try to get help for that. [NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE] [SOCIAL SUPPORT]

Interviewer: Is she, is she available for you when you need it or do you have to schedule an appointment and how's that been.

Frank: Usually they make an appointment and they can help me that way.

Interviewer: Good. Um, well, I'm glad that you've found that service and that the community health center has provided that because that must be so helpful to have someone to do that with cause doing that alone would be challenging. I'm sure. So, throughout this time, it's now been a few months that we've been in lockdown or in this isolation, pandemic protections. Are there any times of the day or, or week or, or month that you felt more lonely than other times?

Frank: Um, sometimes at nighttime what I get asleep long nights. [NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE]

Interviewer: Yeah. Yeah. Especially now that the sun is going down earlier, we have a longer night.

Frank: Yeah, it was hard. And last winter that I had no idea how I'm gonna make it this winter.

Interviewer: Yeah. Yeah. And any holidays that have passed, I know we passed Easter and a couple of this spring holidays, have those been particularly challenging at all?

Frank: Not really my kids are already old, so they’re not into stuff like that, but I don't think that would be a different change.

Interviewer: Yeah. And for you then in the nighttime, when you're feeling feeling particularly lonely or isolated, what kinds of things have you helped to help yourself feel better during those times?

Frank: Um, sometimes we'll take a shower, turn on the TV, or I go downstairs outside and I smoke a little weed. I'm a patient. And then I come up here and you know, now if I do that, uh, I won't be sleepy anymore. But at least it let me go through those hours and then I'm so tired that I just naturally, when I go to sleep, that's how it was being naturally how I try to get my mind sleepy I guess. [COPING] [HELPFUL FOR COPING]

Interviewer: Have there been any people that have helped you feel less lonely? I know your kids have been spending time with you and Sandra from SASH, but anyone else who's been able to get you through some of the harder times?

Frank: Nope.

Interviewer: No. Okay. Um, and in terms of feeling social connectedness and a sense of togetherness, have you been able to feel connected to your community during this pandemic?

Frank: Um, not really, everybody is on their own way, so…

Interviewer: Yeah. Has that changed since the pandemic started or do you feel like you were pretty isolated beforehand too?

Frank: Well, I was isolated simply because I was sick and I wasn’t leaving my room. Um, I never felt isolated, you know, overall now with a pandemic now that's completely different story, there’s mandatory, or at least for me, it's like mandatory, you know, stay away from everybody, lock yourself in. [LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT] [SOCIAL ISOLATION]

Interviewer: Do you feel like maybe it's more intense isolation now?

Frank: Um, it is, but, what, I’m, I would say, I don't know if it's the right word, but afraid of it once the real winter sets in, for me, it's like unbearable, so that's what I'm…. Every time it is a nice day I go just to bask myself in the sun and then it makes me sad because I'm thinking soon, a guy reaches cold and misery. That's what I'm afraid. That's what I'm that's what am I dreading. [SOCIAL ISOLATION]

Interviewer: Yes. As the cold comes, are there things that you, that you would like to have available to you, either services or supports that would help you get through the winter and help you ease your fears a little bit?

Frank: Not really. I mean, I think that the same thing that everybody would like to, a vaccine and a cure. Let's get back to normalcy, you know, I'm running behind, so I just want to catch up.

Interviewer: Right. I definitely understand. And so it sounds like you've been using video calls and seeing your kids, any other ways that you've found to socialize during the pandemic, either with your neighbors or with friends in the community?

Frank: Um, no. Used to be some activities, community activities through the SASH program, but all is been canceled because of the pandemics, so none of that. I mean the only socializing I’ve been doing is when I cross paths with somebody. More people, they live here in the building. And I feel so bad that I cannot, most people, I do not recognize, and some people that I recognize because of the voices, I can't see faces. I know that for a person, it must be hard to understand, but most of the time I have no idea who I’m talking to, and I feel bad that they call me by my name, which is not easy to remember from the start. And I cannot remember John or Michelle, but in any event…

Interviewer: Well, that's okay. It sounds like you have people that care about you that live close to you and who want to engage with you too, which is always a nice feeling.

Frank: Yes, yes. Yes. Most people here in my building. They're very nice. Easy. [WHO LIVE WITH]

Interviewer: Good. And so you were mentioning some activities before, did you participate in those or were you just aware of them?

Frank: I was aware of, let's say I, there was a calendar that SASH program will print every month. All these activities, you know, the many different activities. And once it was a pizza and a movie and I was like, Oh man. Um, and that was by the time that I was either off or very low doses of steroids and I not participate in, I signed myself, you know, because you need to sign your name on a sheet because there’s pizza and stuff. So they speak finished. And it was good. Not necessarily the kind of movie that I will watch myself, just to have the experience. Next time I went over there and had a pizza, that I always enjoy pizza. Uh, but then there was another lame movie and maybe next one and the next one, it was a wars movie. So I can only say that I ate a lot of pizza but only seen one movie.

Interviewer: Well, that's okay. Pizza's the best part anyway.

Frank: Yeah. That's true.

Interviewer: During the pandemic, have you, have you been able to participate in any of those activities anymore? Are they, are they doing remote activities that you can connect to virtually?

Frank: Um, **long pause** no. I don't think that there are any activities going on. I do believe I'm not sure, but I believe that there is a blood pressure clinic. I never participated because I have my own device, but I am sure that those things, they still, I think that they go out on either Tuesdays or Thursdays. Um, but no, I haven't participated in any of that stuff. I'll be using at the use a lot of help from Sandra part of the SASH program. [SOCIAL SUPPORT]

Interviewer: Okay. Did she connect with you, um, over a video call or a telephone call, or did she come to your house?

Frank: She called a couple of times throughout these pandemic just to say, hello, how are you doing? Do you need anything? That's what the conversation would be. InstaCart, another way that I go get groceries. So she's, she called several times and I was able to use her for the, for those type of situations. It was welcoming and very helpful to say the least. [SOCIAL SUPPORT] [REMOTE TECH USE]

Interviewer: Yeah. And how does that make you feel that she's reaching out to you and checking in with you?

Frank: You know, it shows the professionalism and the dedication that a person has for the job, that it’s performing,

Interviewer: You said her name, I’m sorry, her name is Sandra. Is that correct? Sandra?

Frank: Her name is Sarah. And then the nurse is Ella.

Interviewer: And has Ella been, been able to check in with you too?

Frank: I spoke to Ella once, but he works related with that um, to update like, uh, like the medical living will. Um, that's, that's the only time that I spoke to her. [SOCIAL SUPPORT]

Interviewer: Okay. And do you feel like you have someone you can contact if you needed medical support and whether that's at SASH or at the community health center, do you feel comfortable reaching out to them if you needed any medical support?

Frank: Oh, of course. Yeah. I wouldn't actually call the SASH that have so many different issues. But certainly I will call either my primary doctor, or if it is something specific, uh, with the specialist that they see me at UVM. I think that I have a good handle on my, on my health.

Interviewer: Yeah. I'm glad to hear that, cause it sounds like it hasn't always been easy.

Frank: Uh, no, it's been really hard, but one day, at a time. Yeah.

Interviewer: So aside from a pizza and, and maybe a better movie, once we get back to normal, are there any activities that you wish SASH would offer so that you could spend time with other people in the building or other people in the community?

Frank: They do have different activities. It's just not something that I'm too interested in that yeah, they do have some coloring, and arts and crafts, and tai chi, and this pizza and a movie. And I think that they try to keep people engaged.

Interviewer: But none of those activities are particularly interesting to you. Is that correct?

Frank: No, not really. The pizza and a movie, I like the pizza, and I understand, I mean I want this action bloody movie, that would not be suitable for everyone right, people that are a little bit sensitive, so I understand that not everybody had the same taste, you know?

Interviewer: Well, maybe they can rotate through the different genres of movies.

Frank: Maybe, you know, this week we will be a horror movie and really spooky, so everybody can be a little bit afraid without sending anyone to the psychologist.

Interviewer: That's right. Especially now that we're close to Halloween, people probably would love to see a spooky movie.

Frank: Yes. I think that it's just more need than they do have. I have to be honest, they do have a variety of different activities.

Interviewer: Okay. And nothing that appeals to you now is if you could do anything in the world with SASH there's, are there any activities that you wish they would provide for you either now or after the pandemic is over?

Frank: I said, I have the crazy idea. I will say, why don't we get a pinball machine in the community room, a real pinball machine that you need quarters to play with, and then SASH can actually collect to finance other activities. However, how many people are addicted to it? I know I am, but how many other people, do you see what I mean, I would be extremely interested and other people would. The whole thing is like we’re the majority to be served, the majority to be happy. You know, that's apply the golden rule, I guess. [IDEA NEW SASH]

Interviewer: I guess so. So I just have a couple more questions for you here, Frank. So it sounds like you've had some, some other challenges in your life with your health. Um, but with the challenges coming with the pandemic, would you say those are greater or less challenging than other times in your life?

Frank: Uh, are greater because my immune system is nuclearly suppressed because, I say nuclearly because I had to go to the nuclear department, like a nuclear ward over there, but, um, by their infusion center to suppress my immune system with a virus, uh, that's not a good thing. [LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT]

Interviewer: Right. Especially when you have that already existing condition to know that the virus is pretty dangerous. That must be very scary. As you, as you think about your life as a whole from when you were little up until today what kind of meaning would you say the pandemic holds for you?

Frank: *long pause*Something more than I will see that now, what kind of meaning?

Interviewer: What kind of meaning does the pandemic hold? If any, it doesn't have to have any meaning.

Frank: **long pause** I've seen that the only meaning would be that we forgot the lessons from a hundred years ago and we should remember today for the generation a hundred years from now, that would be there, meaning that this pandemic, I might be wrong, but it's in the same thing that it had been with the Ebola, it was something that, uh, he was ready to explode, but it was contained, so every year or every, not too far apart, it is something that is significantly change the world. And if it's something that exploded on our faces to make us awake, what priorities should be, that is a lesson that I said that I think that I should learn. And that, that we, as humans, we should learn. [LIFE HISTORY CONTEXT]

Interviewer: That's a wonderful lesson and so well-articulated. You're absolutely right. We, we have not learned from our past and our previous mistakes in our handling of this pandemic, for sure. Um, so Frank, once we get a vaccine and once we're out of the woods here what are you most looking forward to doing once the pandemic is over

Frank: Go out side, go any place that is nice and warm or that it is summer, and just laid on the sand and take it all in and enjoy. [FUTURE HOPES]

Interviewer: Maybe get back to Peru.

Frank: If it is summer there then, but if it’s not here is beautiful too. Any place that is warm is a nice place for me. Yeah. [FUTURE HOPES]

Interviewer: Where in Peru do you like to go?

Frank: I was born in Lima in Peru, but I also have family in Brazil. And so if I could I try to just cross the border from one place to another. Particularly with the carnival, because there’s not just carnivals in Rio, in little towns. So, yeah, I like that kind of stuff, but that's something that I would like to do, you know, I like my little towns with the bare minimum. That's where I like to explore. [FUTURE HOPES]

Interviewer: Yeah, of course. And things like carnival must be hard to do right now. I can imagine that that's a lot of people in one place, they must be really nervous to do that with COVID restrictions, or if they can do it at all.

Frank: Brazil is not doing good at all and the government or this was going to be in what, 90 days. I don't think that it would that crazy president, I'm sure that they will go for a carnival that they, they shouldn't. As much as they about beautiful it is, but if it's a COVID-19 party does what it is.

Interviewer: It is too many people in one in one place that does not seem safe.

Frank: Yes. I live in downtown Burlington. I shouldn't talk politics, but I believe in equality and there are people that are protesting because I can see from my window and I can hear them. God knows that I would like to go over there and join them. So they, I believe in what they protest. There is a reason why, and there is in our constitution that we have the right to peacefully protest. But with a pandemic, I had to be insane in order to go over there, regardless of the message and join a bunch of people, regardless of if they have masks, if it's not a good idea, the message is beautiful and it's right. And it's correct, but the time is wrong.

Interviewer: Yes. I completely agree. But it's good to know that we still have people in our community who are fighting for change and fighting for equality, right?

Frank: Oh yeah.

Interviewer: Yeah. Um, and we can still help, even if we're not going out in the streets, there are many ways to, um, to make change.

Frank: Yeah. As I said, I always say, what is, that is what is beauty of democracy. Because all that agree to disagree. I think that we should go, right, you think we should go left. At the end, whatever the majority of the country decides, we support the one that has been elected and just go that way, give it a try. And, you know…

Interviewer: Yes. Well, Frank is there anything else that you would like to tell me or that I forgot to ask before we wrap up this conversation?

Frank: Um, nothing I think just hopefully that whatever that I said, it will help for the studies that you are conducting.

Interviewer: Thank you so much for spending this hour with me. I really appreciate your very thoughtful responses to my questions and this really wonderful conversation. I've learned so much and I really do think that we can work with SASH to, to create a really positive living environment right now. All right, Frank, you have a wonderful rest of your day. Okay.

Frank: You too. Bye bye.

Interviewer: Bye bye now.

Lay Summary: Information Sheet for Interviews

Project Title: SASH Participant Experiences of the Pandemic

Researcher Name: Jeanne Shea

Researcher Contact Information:

Professor Jeanne Shea, jeanne.shea@uvm.edu

Sponsor: Anthropology Department, University of Vermont, and the Support and Services AtHome (SASH) Program

Research Overview: This study aims to build an understanding of: how SASH participants have been experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic and to help the SASH program to assess what itsdoing well and what it could improve in terms of programming for SASH participants. This study is a quality improvement research project. It is a collaboration of Professor Jeanne Shea of the Anthropology Department at the University of Vermont and Melissa Southwick of the SASH Program.

You have been chosen to take part in the study because you are a SASH participant living in Chittenden County or the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. We would like to understand SASH participants’ experiences of the pandemic and SASH programming across these different geographic areas of Vermont. We are interested in the experiences of older adults living in either SASH apartments or their own freestanding home.

In the interview, you will be asked about your experience of the pandemic and about SASH services during this time.

Interviews will take place at a date and time mutually agreed upon by you and a member of the research team by telephone or on a secure teleconferencing platform. The interview will last about an hour. Your interviewer is a student in Professor Shea’s medical anthropology class at UVM who is doing this work as part of their service learning for the course.

So that the research team can make an accurate record of your experiences, we would like to audio record the interview. After the interview, the interviewer will transcribe the audio recording, removing any identifying details that you may share during the interview. After the lead researcher checks the transcription against the recording, the recording will be erased. Your identity will be kept confidential.

Participation: Your participation in this study is voluntary. There is no obligation for you to participate in this study. Should you choose to participate you may withdraw from the study at any time.

Compensation and Costs: There is no compensation associated with participation in this research. There are no costs to participate in this research.

Rights and Risks: You have the right to refuse to answer any questions. The researchers will do everything possible to prevent a breach of confidentiality. Interview transcripts will be stripped of any identifying information. Audio recordings will be erased after transcripts have been checked. Interview data will be stored on a secure password protected UVM server. Any hard copies of interview data will be kept in a lockbox.

Conclusion: Please contact Jeanne Shea (see contact information above) with any questions or concerns regarding this study. For any questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, please contact the Director of Research Protections office at 802-656-5040.

Interview Questions for SASH Participant Experiences of the Pandemic

Demographic Questions:

How long have you been in the SASH program? (Should be at least two years)

May I ask, what is your age?

Are you living in Chittenden County or the Northeast Kingdom?

Do you live in a SASH apartment building or in your own freestanding home?

How is your broadband service where you live?

Experiences of the Pandemic

Who do you live with in your apartment or home? How far do you live from your nearest neighbors? How is your access to transportation?

How good your phone connection where you live?

General Questions about Experiences of the Pandemic

What has this Covid-19 pandemic been like for you?

Has the pandemic changed your daily life or routines at all, and if so, how?

If there were changes: How do you feel about these changes in routine?

How has the pandemic impacted you?

For you, what have been the worst things about the pandemic?

How have you been coping with the impacts of the pandemic?

What have you found to be especially helpful to you for coping during the pandemic?

What kinds of resources, supports, services, or programs have you wished you had during the pandemic?

Is there anything that has been a silver lining for you about the pandemic? Anything that’s better than before the pandemic? If so, what?

Changes in Social Life during the Pandemic

Has your social life changed at all during the pandemic? If so, how?

Have you spent more or less time alone than usual? If so, how has that been for you? Have you enjoyed or disliked your alone time? How so?

Do you get to see family or friends as often as before? As often you would like?

Have you been able to connect with other people as often as before? As often you would like?

Have you had more or fewer activities available to you than usual? As many as you would like?

Sense of Loneliness during the Pandemic

Have you felt lonely or socially isolated at all during the pandemic? How so?

Compared with the couple years before the pandemic, during the pandemic have you felt more or less lonely or socially isolated?

How so? Why do you think that is?

More or less often or intensely than before the pandemic?

Coping with Feelings of Loneliness

If you have felt at all lonely or socially isolated at any time during the pandemic: How difficult has that been for you?

Are there any times of the day, week, or month you’ve felt more lonely? What kinds of things have you found help you to feel better at those times? What kinds of people have helped you to feel less lonely?

Sense of Social Connectedness during the Pandemic

Have you felt a sense of togetherness or social connectedness during the pandemic? How so?

Compared with the couple years before the pandemic, during the pandemic have you felt more or less of a sense of togetherness or social connectedness?

How so? Why do you think that is?

More or less often than before the pandemic?

More or less intensely than before the pandemic?

Strategies for Social Connection

What has helped you to feel a sense of togetherness or social connectedness during the pandemic? What have you been doing to stay socially connected during the pandemic? How has that been going? What have been some of the best ways you’ve found to socialize during the pandemic?

What kinds of social support have you received during the pandemic? What did that feel like?

What kinds of social support have you given to others during the pandemic? What did that feel like?

Use of Remote Communications Technology

How much have you used remote means to connect with others during the pandemic? Is this more or less than before the pandemic?

Which remote means have you used to connect with others during the pandemic? E.g., telephone, Zoom, Skype, online chat, FaceTime, Facebook, etc.

How has connecting with people by remote means been like for you?

Has it helped you to feel more socially connected or less lonely? If so, how so? If not, why not? Has it been difficult to manage? If so, how?

Could you use any help or training in the use of any communications technology? If so, what?

SASH Activities and Remote Delivery

Have you participated in any remote SASH activities in the pandemic? If not, why not?

If so: What kind of remote SASH activities were they?

How did you connect to them? (Audio-only on phone? Audiovisual on smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer?)

Has your phone, wifi, or broadband connection been a problem at all for connecting? How have these activities been for you?

Have they helped you to feel more socially connected or less lonely? Why or why not?

Are there any pre-existing SASH activities disrupted by the pandemic that you miss? If not, why not?

If so: What are they?

Do you think they would help you to feel more socially connected or less lonely if they reopened? Why? Why not?

If they were offered remotely, how likely is it that you would participate in them? Why? Why not?

Are there any new activities that you wish could be offered by SASH? If so: What are they?

Do you think they would help you to feel more socially connected or less lonely if they reopened? Why? Why not?

If they were offered remotely, how likely is it that you would participate in them? Why? Why not?

Pandemic in Life History Context

How does your experience of this pandemic compare with other challenging times of your life? Is it more challenging or less challenging? How so?

As you think about your life as a whole from when you were little to this day, what kind of meaning would you say the pandemic holds for you, if any?

Looking to a Post-Pandemic Future

What do you look forward to doing when this pandemic is over?

Closing

Is there anything else that you would like to tell me, or anything I forgot to ask?

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me to understand your experiences of the pandemic and your perspective on SASH activities. I have learned a lot and this will be very helpful to SASH in considering what programming to offer moving forward..