The COVID-19 pandemic spurred older adults to use information and communication technology (ICT) for maintaining connections and engagement during social distancing. This trend raises concerns about privacy and data safety for older individuals with limited technical knowledge who have adopted ICT reluctantly and may be distinct in their susceptibility to scams, fraud, and identity theft. This paper highlights the gap in the literature regarding the increased privacy and data security risks for older adults adopting technology due to isolation during the pandemic (referred to here as quarantine technology initiates (QTIs)). A literature search informed by healthcare experts explored the intersection of older adults, data privacy, online activity, and COVID-19. A thin and geographically diverse literature was found to consider the risk profile of QTIs with the same lens as for older adults who adopted ICT before or independent of COVID-19 quarantines. The mentioned strategies to mitigate privacy risks were broad, including education, transaction monitoring, and the application of international regulatory models, but were undistinguished from those for non-QTI older adults. Future research should pursue the hypothesis that the risk profile of QTIs may differ in character from that of other older adults, referencing by analogy the nuanced distinctions quantified in credit risk scoring. Such studies would examine the primary data on privacy and data safety implications of hesitant ICT adoption by older adults, using COVID-19 as a natural experiment to identify and evaluate this vulnerable group.

Background/Objectives: Loneliness and social isolation are common among older adults and linked to adverse health outcomes. Videoconferencing can support social connections, but the role of aging-in-place organizations (AIPOs), such as senior centers and Area Agencies on Aging, in facilitating adoption is poorly understood. This review examined how AIPOs use relational videoconferencing to promote social engagement among older adults. Methods: We applied a hybrid methodology combining a scoping review with latent topic modeling to contextualize and analyze the evidence base. Exploratory searches revealed limited literature specifically addressing AIPO involvement; therefore, we first conducted latent topic modeling of the broader literature on social videoconferencing among older adults to establish a thematic foundation for the subsequent PRISMA-guided scoping review. Thematic analysis of this broader corpus, identified through 2021 database searches, applied Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to a collection of peer-reviewed articles. Subsequent refinement of this corpus by removing non-primary research and non-AIPO records produced the narrower PRISMA subset used for the scoping review. The scoping review followed JBI guidelines and was based on database searches (EBSCOhost: MEDLINE, AgeLine, SocINDEX, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and Family & Society Studies Worldwide; ProQuest Social Science Premium Collection; and PubMed, including MEDLINE, PMC, and in-process content) for peer-reviewed studies published between 2011 and 2025. Inclusion criteria required primary research involving adults aged 65 years or older, use of videoconferencing technology for social engagement, and reference to AIPOs or analogous community-based aging services. The protocol was post-registered with the Open Science Framework. Results: The LDA analysis of 101 peer-reviewed articles identified six latent themes describing the broader research landscape: problem of isolation, character of socialization, physical health, technology as intervention, technology as social medium, and supportive environments. This thematic framework informed the scoping review, which screened 1908 records and retained 25 publications (representing 24 unique studies) explicitly referencing AIPO involvement in relational videoconferencing. Only one study predated COVID-19. Mapping these studies to the LDA-derived themes revealed the least consistent coverage to be in supportive environments and physical health, particularly among AIPOs other than senior or community centers. Conclusions: Relational videoconferencing has potential to sustain and expand older adults’ social connections, but evidence mapped through the scoping review shows that documentation of how AIPOs support adoption is sparse. The hybrid approach advances understanding of videoconferencing in aging contexts and identifies priorities for documenting, comparing, and refining AIPO practices to inform future interventions and policy.