Nov 11, 2020, 2:04 PM ETConference Presentation, Panel, Fireside Chat

Healthy Longevity: New Strategies for a New Normal

The Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging convened a session titled "Healthy Longevity, New Strategies for a New Normal" to address the impact of the pandemic on aging populations.
Major international initiatives include the National Academy of Medicine's Global Grand Challenge on Healthy Longevity and the WHO's designation of 2020–2030 as the "Decade of Healthy Aging."
Prior to the pandemic, 218,000 Americans died due to COVID-19 by the time of the session, with nearly 80% being age 65 and over.
Globally, there were nearly 40 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 1.1 million deaths, with a large percentage of fatalities occurring in adults over 65.

Pre-existing health outcome disparities in the US have persisted and been accentuated by the pandemic, maintaining a 20-year discrepancy in life expectancy across states (e.g., California vs. Mississippi).
Over 55% of health outcome drivers in the US are attributed to social and behavioral variables, a ratio that has remained stable despite the crisis.
In the UK, socioeconomic inequalities resulted in an 18-year gap in healthy life expectancy between the poorest and richest groups before the pandemic.
In the UK, individuals in poorer circumstances were twice as likely to die from COVID-19 compared to those in richer circumstances.
Racial disparities persist globally, with significantly higher death rates from COVID-19 observed among Black and minority ethnic populations.

Digital engagement for fitness among seniors accelerated from 30% prior to the pandemic to 52% during the crisis.
80% of seniors intending to continue using digital fitness platforms desire a hybrid model combining physical and digital activities.
Social isolation among seniors increased from 4% prior to the pandemic to 20% during the pandemic, highlighting a crisis in social determinants of health.
Food insecurity among seniors rose from 7.3% (approximately 5.5 million seniors) prior to the pandemic to progressively worse levels during the crisis.
75% of seniors surveyed reported using technology for physical activity, medical appointments, or socializing; 50% expressed high comfort using Zoom.
Tiviti Health's Silver Sneakers program pivoted to digital, hosting 2,500 classes a week and accumulating over one million digital live instructor-led visits since the start of the pandemic.
Seniors indicated that digital fitness options are not temporary but are here to stay, signaling a permanent shift in service delivery models.

Healthcare systems remain focused on acute treatment rather than prevention, with over 90% of budget and time dedicated to treating the sick rather than preventing illness.
Cardiologists report a systemic failure to intervene decades in advance on risk factors, resulting in patients presenting for acute care (e.g., heart attacks) only when life is at risk.
Access to Wi-Fi is emerging as a critical new social determinant of health, with significant gaps existing in rural, suburban, and urban areas.
25% of all tweets mentioning COVID-19 and older adults contained ageist content, including jokes, ridicule, or implications that older lives were less valuable.
Social isolation in nursing homes during the pandemic has been driven by a balance between infection control and the health risks of severe isolation, potentially exacerbated by ageist attitudes.
Structural factors, such as unsafe neighborhoods and lack of access to healthy food, limit personal responsibility; simply educating individuals can worsen health inequalities if barriers remain.

The pandemic highlighted the impact of home quality on health, with damp, overcrowded, and poorly lit housing increasing risks for respiratory disease and mental health decline.
One in three seniors aged 50–60 reported a worsening of mental health during the pandemic, partly attributed to housing conditions.
Aging Better is working to shift the market for home adaptations, encouraging renovations for bathrooms and kitchens that support long-term independence.
A "Good Home Inquiry" launched in England aims to define policy actions and financial services needed to retrofit existing housing stock for aging populations.
Access to outdoor space is identified as a critical factor for physical and mental well-being, with those lacking it experiencing negative health impacts.

Technology's role is viewed as a friction-reducer to enable human connection and care virtualization rather than a standalone solution.
There is a critical need for new data approaches, including wearables and observables, to improve risk stratification and personalized prevention strategies.
Facebook is exploring solutions for global internet access, viewing connectivity as a fundamental right similar to water and electricity to support community health.
Personal responsibility is not the primary driver of health outcome disparities; structural determinants and the accumulation of disadvantage over the life course are more significant factors.
Community engagement tools, such as Fitbit groups or dog ownership, are identified as effective motivators for physical activity and health monitoring.

The pandemic served as a catalyst for accelerating pre-existing trends toward digital health and preventative care, with seniors embracing new ways of living.
Workplace flexibility for older workers has been accelerated, creating opportunities to retain older employees and manage health conditions better.
There is growing optimism that the crisis has prompted deep thinking and action to remove barriers to healthy aging, moving beyond temporary fixes to sustainable transformation.
Telehealth adoption, forced by the pandemic, is expected to remain a permanent fixture in healthcare, reducing friction and improving access.
Experts emphasize that a "one-size-fits-all" solution for health does not exist; successful strategies must be personalized to specific communities and populations.