Roosevelt House Public Policy instructors Ruth Finkelstein and Christian González-Rivera co-author an op-ed about the dangers of isolation for senior citizens who might not receive vital medical information and are at a risk for the harmful health effects of chronic loneliness. While ‘flattening the curve’ of the virus’s spread requires avoiding people and sheltering-in as best as possible, the disproportionate impact of this policy on vulnerable people, especially older adults, requires immediate attention and action. Read the full op-ed What ‘Social Distancing Means for Older Adults’ on CityLimits here.

Ruth Finkelstein is the director of the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging at Hunter College, CUNY. She is teaching a course this semester on ’Aging Policy and Politics’ for the Public Policy Program at Roosevelt House. Christian González-Rivera is the director of strategic policy initiatives at the Brookdale Center.