Museums working with older people in times of pandemic

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the work with/for/about older people being undertaken by museums during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, thinking of museums as caregivers. Design/methodology/approach: This paper reviews the responses from museums which work with older adults, in times of pandemic. It reviews how museums have addressed older people during the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK and Portugal. Two Portuguese maritime museums which have older adults as strategic audiences are selected and their Facebook webpage during the lockdown is analyzed. Findings: Museums were committed to delivering online the work they have been doing offline, not without limitations. The digital turn in times of pandemic draw attention to inequalities regarding visitors who has access and literacy to engage with the digital museum as well as museums themselves. Unlike in the UK, in the two maritime museums, there were no specific programmes targeting older people – except for COVID-19 messages. However, older adults are presented online as active and as experts on maritime issues, representing empowering versions of ageing, either online or offline. Originality/value: This paper reviewed and illustrated with empirical examples from the UK and Portugal how museums are addressing older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to the wider debate on the role of arts, culture and cultural heritage for the well-being of older adults.