Equity in essential services accessibility among the elderly: a comparison of community resilience during and after the COVID-19 pandemic
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Date
2024
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AESOP
Abstract
The COVID-19 has caused heavy damage across the globe. Lockdown measures implemented during the pandemic have affected residents’ normal daily lives. During the stay-at-home orders, the elderly faced greater challenges in accessing essential services due to their physical limitations. Reducing inequities in access to essential service facilities is crucial for enhancing community resilience. In this research, three indexes were developed to measure community resilience in accessing essential services. Specifically, we have considered the differences in walking ability between the elderly and healthy adults, as well as the unique needs of the elderly. The Lorenz curve and the Gini coefficient were employed to measure spatial equity. Shanghai was selected as our case study. We utilized datasets from 2020 and 2023 to compare changes in equity during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The results indicate that the Diversity Index exhibits the highest equity, followed by the Demand Accessibility Index, while the equity of the Per Capita Quantity Index is the lowest. The distribution of essential service facilities postpandemic is moving in a direction unfavourable to the needs of the elderly. These findings provide valuable scientific insights for policymakers to strengthen community resilience and reduce inequities in essential facility access.
Keywords: equity, the elderly, essential services, accessibility, community resilience
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CC-BY