COVID-19 Community Resources
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has claimed thousands of lives and has disproportionately impacted diverse elders, caregivers, and families. We’re committed to providing culturally competent, in-language resources and support to our communities. See below for a comprehensive resource list to help you meet your daily needs like groceries and transportation, get care for physical and mental health conditions, and be connected with organizations around the country providing support.
All of the DEC’s ongoing news coverage of the pandemic can be found here: https://diverseelders.org/tag/coronavirus/
Click here to download a PDF of the resource list.
Diverse Elders Coalition COVID-19 Resource List
Below is a resource list organized by the services provided. These resources were consolidated from credible, reliable institutions and organizations, including member and partner organizations of the Diverse Elders Coalition. This resource list will be continually updated.
Caregiving in a Pandemic: What’s Next for Diverse Caregivers – July 23, 2021
Caregiving in a Pandemic – presentation slides
COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Getting the Vaccine to the communities that need it most – part 2 – webinar recording with subtitles
Getting the Vaccine to the communities that need it most – part 2 – presentation slides
Getting the Vaccine to the communities that need it most – webinar recording with subtitles
Getting the Vaccine to the communities that need it most – presentation slides
Telephone Hotlines
AARP Fraud Prevention Helpline: During these difficult times, fraudulent calls are more common. If you suspect you are being targeted by a fraud or scam, call AARP’s toll-free helpline: 877-908-3360
SAGE National LGBT Elder Hotline: Talk and be heard at the SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline. We connect LGBT older people who want to talk with friendly responders who are ready to listen. Responders are crisis certified. The line is open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging Automated In-Language Helpline: Older adults who face barriers due to language or access to technology are able to receive assistance in through NAPCA’s Helpline and website. Monday-Friday between 8:30am-1pm PST, callers are able to reach live-operators in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean and Vietnamese for residents of Los Angeles and Seattle. The Helpline also offers recorded in-language guided meditations to support callers with exercises in grounding, relaxation, breathing, and gratitude. Recorded information on COVID-19 prevention, symptoms, and planning in eight different languages is also available. The languages are listed below.
English: 1-800-336-2722
廣東話 / Cantonese: 1-800-582-4218
普通话 / Mandarin: 1-800-683-7427
한국어 / Korean: 1-800-582-4259
日本語 / Japanese: 1-800-398-1117
Tagalog / Filipino: 1-800-593-8087
Tiếng Việt / Vietnamese: 1-800-582-4336
Español / Spanish: 1-800-948-3844
Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline: 24/7 Helpline (800.272.3900) is available around the clock, 365 days a year. Through this free service, specialists and master’s-level clinicians offer confidential support and information to people living with the disease, caregivers, families and the public during the COVID-19 crisis.
Daily Living: Groceries, In-Home Services, Social Connection
Community Resource Finder: This website was created in partnership the Alzheimer’s Association, AARP, and Carelike to provide community-based services focused on care at home services, housing options, medical services, and program and events from both AARP and the Alzheimer’s Association. Community services also include skilled nursing and home care aids to provide services.
ACL Eldercare Locator: Enter your zip code to find your local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). Local AAAs can provide information regarding meal delivery and other services including case management, in-home services, insurance counseling, legal assistance, medical transportation, information and assistance. Along with AAAs, American Indian and Alaska Natives can also find Title VI programs through the Eldercare Locator.
SAGEConnect: SAGEConnect links LGBT elders with their broader community, reducing isolation and promoting well-being. If you know someone who would benefit from SAGEConnect, but doesn’t have internet, call the registration line at 929-484-4160.
Where to Get Food Help Now – National Council on Aging: Affording healthy food is a challenge for many older Americans, but the spread of COVID-19 has made matters worse. Whether you’re facing difficult financial times or are unable to leave your home, there are resources that may be able to help.
Shaper Hands: The National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) announced a partnership with Lyft and volunteer organization Shaper Hands for a free volunteer delivery service to assist elderly and at-risk individuals most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles and Seattle.
Invisible Hands: Volunteers delivering groceries and supplies to the most at-risk populations in NYC.
DIG ACRES: DIG ACRES are delivery grocery boxes filled with fresh-farm produce from local farmers and partners to ensure quality. The selection of 7-9 produce items changes on a weekly basis based on supply. They operate in Boston, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Philadelphia, and Rye Brook.
List of Grocery Stores That Are Offering Senior Shopping Hours: Here is a list of grocery stores that are offering senior shopping hours to reduce chance of COVID-19 transmission. Some of these grocery stores are national grocery stores that are likely to be in your neighborhood!
Coronavirus Testing Resources
Testing.com – When to Get Tested for Coronavirus: As a trusted resource designated by the CDC, Testing.com has more information on when to get tested for coronavirus. This comprehensive resource also has more information on who needs to get tested and the common symptoms of the virus.
Testing.com – How Can You Get Tested For Coronavirus: As a trusted resource designated by the CDC, Testing .com has more information on how you can get tested for coronavirus. This resource has more information on COVID-19 symptoms, the process for getting testing for COVID-19, and much more.
Hate Crime Response & Fraud Prevention
Incidents of hate targeting people of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) ancestry during the COVID-19 pandemic have dramatically increased. Rep. Judy Chu, head of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said at a recent congressional news conference that at least 1,000 hate incidents directed at Asian Americans have been reported since the beginning of the pandemic.
** If you have been a victim of a hate act:
Get medical help, if necessary.
- Write down all details of the crime as soon as possible after the incident. Include the perpetrator[s] gender, age, height, race, weight, clothes and other distinguishing characteristics. If any threats or biased comments were made, include them in the report.
- Report the incident to your local law enforcement (911). *If victims do not want to go to the police, submit a report to the local Civil Rights/Human Rights Task Force in your area.
- And report the incident via the following form to help educate the public on what is happening:
Hate Crime Response Form – SEARAC COVID19 Rapid Response Guide
COVID-19: Addressing Discrimination and Racism: Local Health Department Guidance: In response to a rise in reports of racism and discrimination against API communities as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Public Health Alliance of Southern California (Alliance) convened the Equity Subcommittee on Addressing Discrimination and Racism to help support local health departments in advancing a welcoming and inclusive framework within their own jurisdictions and across Southern California. As both fear and misinformation about COVID-19 continue to grow, health departments and community members are reporting increased incidences of physical, verbal, social and economic discrimination against Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities.
Grief and Mental Health Support
National Alliance for Mental Illness: Provides information and resources for mental health support during COVID19. The information is specific to the COVID19 response as many are dealing with health issues.
Mental Health Resource List,: provided by Nursing License Map, a home for nurses and prospective nurses, is a comprehensive resource containing resources for your mind, body and spirit. Helpful for those in helping professions, as well as the general public, this recently released list has sleep and mindfulness resources, counseling and therapy support, and more.
Instagram: @Goodnews_movement: Journalist Michelle Figueroa started this Instagram to spread good news for once in a world commonly pushing for bad news regarding COVID-19.
Advocating for Yourself & Others During the Pandemic
Advocating for Yourself and Others: Health and Aging Services
Advocating for Yourself and Others: Health and Aging Services (Spanish)
Created by SAGE and the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, this article provides useful information you can use to advocate for yourself and others in health and aging services by implementing four key actions: preparation, communication, cultivation, and documentation. This document is also available in Spanish
Know Your Rights Based on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ensures nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs and States that “No person the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal finance assistance”
Ensuring Language Access During the Pandemic
Summary of State Law Requirements Addressing Language Needs in Health Care: Created by the National Health Law Program, this summary report provides a breakdown of enacted laws addressing language access on the State level. Use this report to find your state’s laws on addressing language access
Resources for Family Caregivers
Caregiver Action Network – Caregiver Help Desk: Contact our Care Support Team, staffed by caregiving experts, to help you find the right information you need to help you navigate your complex caregiving challenges. Caregiving experts are available 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM ET by phone, email, and online chat.
Apart, Not Alone – A Guide for Remote Caregiving During Covid-19: APART NOT ALONE goes in-depth into the necessities of remotely providing care during COVID-19. The first section, Health & Safety, covers Preparation, Health and Safety Best Practices, and guidance for securing Medical Care. The second section, The Essentials, spans Shopping and Meals; Social Connections via Technology; and vitally, Cognitive Stimulation, Exercise, and Emotional Support.
COVID-19 Respite and Caregiving Resources: The National Respite Locator Service helps parents, family caregivers, and professionals find respite services in their state and local area to match their specific needs, including support programs, adult day services, and informal connections.
Other Resource Pages
Southeast Asian Resource Action Center (SEARAC) COVID-10 Rapid Response Guide: SEARAC created this page as a landing place for tools and resources offered by partners, within and outside of the coalition, that are AAPI and SEAA community specific. These include: federal, state-by-state (where available), toolkits, samples of social media graphics and posts, victim support, and mutual aid networks. Also, there are some in-language resources for wellness and health, and various hate crime reporting tools.
SEARAC COVID-19 Federal Stimulus Bill FAQs: This is another resource page created by SEARAC to address questions about the federal stimulus bills that have been passed in regards to Southeast Asian Americans. The resource page covers how the federal stimulus bills in response to COVID-19 affects student loans, unemployment insurance, economic impact payments, health services, small business relief, Homeowner and renter protections and school meals.
National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) COVID-19 Media Center: The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) is serving as a trusted source of timely COVID-19 information available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Nutritional support services and housing financial stipends are also offered. The organization is also informing and educating Congress on older adults and caregivers’ issues during COVID-19. A series of Tele-town halls are taking place to inform, engage and empower communities during COVID-19.
National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) Resource Page: NICOA has created a COVID-19 resource page to support all diverse older adults and family caregivers with a special focus on American Indian/Alaska Native older adults and caregivers. The well-developed resource page covers all aspects including information about stimulus payments, COVID-19 prevention steps, avoiding COVID-19 scams, tips on how to reduce isolation during social distancing. Additionally, the resource page has information on what people living with diabetes should know during the COVID-19 crisis. Finally, more information regarding New Mexico’s Indian Affairs Department Tribal Response Plan is provided on the resource page.
Weekly Call Updates with Tribal Communities – National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA): Weekly calls with all Title VI grantees about the coronavirus (COVID-19). These calls will provide new information and updates to tribal programs, but most importantly are an opportunity for tribes to discuss the impact that COVID-19 is having in your communities.
Prepare for COVID-19: Tips and Resources for LGBT Elders and Those Living with HIV: Because LGBT elders and older people living with HIV are at higher risk for experiencing the COVID-19 virus more acutely, it is important to take steps to make emergency plans that can help reduce your risk of contracting the virus. This document provides tips and resources you can use to help prepare.
COVID-19 Resources for Older Adults, Family Caregivers and Health Care Providers: As we all work together to ensure the safety of the public, and in particular, older adults and other individuals who are at increased risk from COVID-19, it is important to turn to trusted sources of information. Here are resources from The John A. Hartford Foundation, their partners, and grantees that they will regularly update with information for older adults, family caregivers and health care providers.
Surviving COVID-19 – Black Women’s Health Imperative: The Black Women’s Health Imperative is here to support you during these trying times with tips, updates and news designed to keep you Black & Well physically, mentally and emotionally. The content provided here is for information purposes only.
Coronavirus and Latino Health Equity – SaludAmerica: With the rise of COVID-19, the team at Salud America! is digitally curating content about what the coronavirus pandemic means for Latino health equity and efforts to help vulnerable communities to ensure the Latino population gets an equitable share of culturally relevant information during the outbreak.
YouTube Playlist on COVID-19 Resources offered in Spanish and English: YouTube playlist w/hour-long, bilingual videos on #COVID-19 resources — resources and messages aimed toward the Latino community. Some of the resources may not be applicable in your area as these videos were developed in California.
Video Series from UnidosUS: Explaining COVID-19 Relief for Latino Families: The CARES Act, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, is a relief package passed by Congress in March. In the video series “UnidosUS CARES: Explaining COVID-19 Relief for Latino Families” we talk about what this package includes and what it means for the Latino community from the health, education, jobs and housing, and immigration perspectives. We also cover what is missing and what needs to be done.
AARP Coronavirus Page: Keep up with the latest news, resources, and information regarding COVID-19 as it relates to older adults. AARP’s coronavirus page offers advice for people dealing with social distancing.
What do Older Adults and People with Disabilities Need to Know?: Resources, facts, and information from the Administration for Community Living (ACL). Available in English and Spanish.
How to Stay Safe When Going Back Out in Public: With quarantines being lifted and some businesses reopening, we face the prospect of venturing back out into the world while also trying to stay as safe as possible. Here are some methods to help you do just that.
Informational Print Materials and Fact Sheets
SEARAC COVID-10 Rapid Response Guide: This guide has information and in-language fact sheets focused on Southeast Asian American languages such as Cambodian/Khmer, Hmong, Laotian, and Vietnamese.
Fact Sheets for Tribes and Urban Indian Communities: These resources focus on the impact COVID-19 has across Indian Country including tribes, Urban Indian Health Programs, and urban Indian communities.
Caregiver Tip Sheets from Alzheimer’s LA: Printable tip sheets for family caregivers, available in English, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese, on topics such as Anxiety, Medications, Sleeping and more.
Tips for Sandwich Generation Caregivers In the Era of COVID-19: COVID-19 is a wakeup call to better prepare for an aging population, and for the kinds of solutions that would benefit us all. They are not just solutions for older people; it’s actually about the public health of American families, and the public health of our country. COVID-19 is a community care issue, and a powerful reminder that we are all fundamentally connected. What we want is a culture of care – and that must be one of caring across generations. Here are some practical tips for caregivers responsible for both young and old.
CDC Print Resources: Includes a variety of different print materials related to different topics such as what to do if you are sick, what you need to know about COVID19, how to protect yourself and others, how to stop the spread, different facts about COVID19, symptoms of COVID-19 among many other print materials.
Physically Distant but Socially Close: Indigenous Resilience and COVID-19 Fact Sheet: Developed by the Urban Indian Health Institute, this fact sheet is a great resource for the American Indian/Alaska Native community. The fact sheet provides more information on how to effectively social distance while maintain cultural traditions and practices such as greetings, gathering for food, dance, and ceremony in creative, fun ways amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Translated Informational Fact Sheets
Elder Mental Health in the time of COVID-19 (Spanish)
Elder Mental Health in Time of COVID-19 (English)
This informational article produced by NHCOA is available in both English and Spanish. The article provides more information on COVID-19 and the importance of mental health for older adults during these difficult times.
Myths and Rumors about COVID-19 (Spanish)
Myths and Rumors about COVID-19 (Portuguese)
Myths and Rumors about COVID-19 (English)
Produced by NHCOA this informational article does a great job in debunking myths and rumors about COVID-19 such as the use of garlic and how temperature affects the virus among many other myths and rumors.
COVID-19, CDC Recommends Use of Masks in Public Settings (Spanish)
COVID-19, CDC Recommends Use of Masks in Public Settings (English)
Written by NHCOA, this article elaborates on the importance of face mask wearing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The article also elaborates on the research behind face mask wearing, other things to consider while wearing face masks and other useful strategies for COVID-19 prevention.
Resources for People with Disabilities
Plain Language Information on COVID-19: A basic 8-page booklet about the Coronavirus is written by and for people with developmental disabilities. It focuses on “need to know” information (not “nice to know” information). The goal of is resource is to keep people with disabilities healthy during the national crisis. The booklet is available in 11 different languages including English.
Alerting the Whole Community – People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has developed the Integrated Public Alert and Warning Systems (IPAWS) to provide people with disabilities with resources to support functional needs. This fact sheet elaborates on the different components of IPAWS such as the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) which provides emergency information delivery for people with disabilities among other components. Additionally, this fact sheet provides further resources such as emerging technologies that might be assistive to people with disabilities amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Show Me Booklet – A Communication Tool for Emergency Shelters: Created by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the “Show Me Booklet” is a 21-page tool divided into topic-themed sections and contains a variety of icons including language needs, medical needs, and personal care needs. Individuals can make their needs and concerns known to professional shelter staff and volunteers during an emergency using this booklet.