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In an era dominated by rapid technological ad vancements and a digital landscape that often over whelms us, the communication needs of senior adults have taken center stage as a crucial and often over looked aspect of their overall well-being.
As our society in general evolves towards full con nectivity, it behooves us to first recognize and then address the unique challenges faced by our elders in staying connected with their loved ones, accessing vital information, and navigating the intricacies of modern communication platforms.
Recently, two leading South Florida-based senior care providers came together to do precisely that. Simply Healthcare (SH), a Florida-licensed health maintenance organization (HMO), joined forces with United HomeCare® (UHC), a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization and licensed provider of com prehensive home care services for homebound older adults, and its student-led, intergenerational senior as surance program, AVUS Connect® and AVUS Tech Pals® joined forces to tackle senior adults’ communi cation needs, exploring the ways in which technology, community support, and personalized approaches can contribute to foster meaningful connection and en hance the quality of life for this often overlooked and underestimated segment of the population.
TABLETS TO LINK SENIORS WITH THE WORLD
During a special community outreach breakfast held at the Village of Allapattah YMCA Family Center, Simply Healthcare announced its support for UHC’s AVUS Connect® and AVUS Tech Pals® proj ect with a symbolic check for $150,000. These funds are earmarked for the purchase and distribution of digital handheld devices specifically designed for older adults. The Samsung 4G tablets work with the easy-to-use, senior-oriented platform named Claris Companion, which includes Wi-Fi, enabling the user to safely access the internet to:
Communicate with family, friends, caregivers, healthcare providers, and others on a secure contact list, via email, text messaging and onetouch video calls.
Engage in their favorite pastimes and hobbies, such as:
• Play online games;
• Watch videos, news and weather
• Visit websites to read articles and books; or
• Research topics of interest. Manage daily activities like:
• Store photos;
• Maintain a calendar of significant dates and appointments;
• Get medication reminders;
• Follow exercise classes;
• Participate in wellness surveys;
• Check-in with caregivers and healthcare providers;
• Receive relevant alerts and more.
Most importantly, explains Blanca Ceballos, UHC’s Community Relations Manager and AVUS Connect mentor, is the level of security that the sys tem provides.
“That is everyone’s major concern when dealing with the internet today,” she says, “but these devices have enhanced security measures that not only block spam, scams and viruses, but also help the users and their families or caregivers retain control over who or what can be accessed through the device.
“To maintain this safe environment, the patient can communicate solely with people on his/her contact list,” Ceballos adds. “And in turn, designated family members or caregivers can remotely manage and monitor the tablet’s activity from anywhere via their own mobile devices and the ‘family console’ app by Claris Companion.”
Blanca Ceballos added that, while operating the de vice will likely take some light training —and UHC/AVUS Connect® and AVUS Tech Pals® vol unteers will be on hand to help— most seniors take to the tablets like “ducks to water,” especially after they discover what they can do with it. Partial view of the event audience. These older adults, area residents and Simply Healthcare/UHC patients, are enrolled in the AVUS® Connect /AVUS Connect Tech Pals program and will receive a device. United HomeCare partners with YMCA, which pro vides support for the community’s seniors with a myriad wellness programs, social activities and in this case, training them to use their new tablets. Claris Companion has an excellent support service as well.
COMMITMENT TO THE PROGRAM
Carlos L. Martinez, President and CEO of United HomeCare®, voiced his company’s commitment to the AVUS Connect senior tablet initiative during the event.
“In UHC’s 50-year history, our home health aides, nurses and supervisors have witnessed the effect that loneliness and isolation have on our elderly patients, which are extremely detrimental to their mental and physical wellbeing. The UHC teams work on a daily basis to help our community’s seniors live and thrive at home. We see the impact these devices have on their lives! The improvement is visible from Day 1. These tangible, measurable results only strengthen our resolve and commitment to this program.”
Simply Healthcare’s generous donation will ex pand the senior tablet project in Miami-Dade County beyond its current phase with funding hundreds of devices in addition to the training and continued sup port efforts provided by AVUS Connect®, its student “We are firm believers in the power that technology has to connect our patients with the outside world, especially with our amazing home health aides and volunteers because we have been witnessing its confidence- and health-boosting influence.” Carlos L. Martinez, President/CEO, United HomeCare® led group of volunteers, and AVUS Tech Pals®.
Alina Palenzuela, UHC’s Chief Marketing and Vol unteer Engagement Officer, described the genesis of the program: “It was during the 2020 COVID pan demic, as our teams were caring for patients despite the shutdown, that we noticed the progressive dam age that isolation measures were causing among the elderly.”
UHC then introduced the use of hand-held tablets to encourage and facilitate in creased communications with patients. The initial phase was modest, yet im mensely successful.
“We are firm believers in the power that technology has to connect our patients with the outside world, especially with our amaz ing home health aides and volunteers because we have been witnessing its con fidence- and health-boost ing influence for the last three years!”
United HomeCare® has developed the project with strategic support from two important partners:
Community Care Corps (C3), a national program that fosters innovative local models in which vol unteers provide non-medical assistance to family caregivers, older adults, or adults with disabilities in order to maintain their independence; and
the Alliance for Aging, a private, not-for-profit agency —designated b the State of Florida as the Area Agency on Aging for Miami-Dade and Monroe counties— that helps older adults and individuals with disabilities stay at home and avoid placement in nursing homes.
“My hope for the program is to see the outcome of these seniors and how they improve their mental health, ease their loneliness and isola tion, see them engaged with family members. It’s so important to stay active, which gives you hope that you’re not alone.”
Cristy Castaneda,
Sr. Director PMO, Simply Healthcare
BRIDGING THE INTERGENERATIONAL GAP
Yet while the tablets certainly expand seniors’ in teractivity with the world beyond their homes, it is important to highlight the work done by a corps of volunteers: the young AVUS Connect crew, local high school students who enthusiastically contribute long hours to establish and strengthen intergenera tional ties —friendships, really— with elderly pa tients, further broadening their social horizons, and its equally altruistic and, as the name states, techno logically-inclined AVUS ® Connect Tech Pals , a pro gram funded by National Community Care Corps, whose members are 18 years and older, mostly from area colleges and universities.
AVUS Connect was founded by Shawn Martinez, then a student at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School (Class of 2023), in 2020 as a community service project.
Inspired by a call to action to address isolation and depression among older adults and energized by his own close relationship with his paternal and maternal grandfathers, both widowed and negatively impacted Shawn Martinez (left), founder of AVUS Connect, and his father and mentor, Carlos, during a United Way awards ceremony rec ognizing the young man’s innovative intergenerational project. by the absence of their lifelong partners, Shawn de veloped a plan, sought advice from his school coun selor, as well as his father and the UHC team, and then rallied his Belen classmates and their friends to participate.
“Avus” means grandfather in Latin.
The program, now beginning its fourth year, has expanded to connect with more South Florida sen iors. Cristy Castaneda, Senior Director PMO, Internal Communica tions, Culture and Communications, (left) and Melissa Jorges, LTSS Program Director, both representing Simply Healthcare. Blanca Ceballos, UHC’s Community Relations Manager and AVUS Connect mentor, greets attendees.
For more information, please contact UHC at (305) 716-0710, customercare@unitedhomecare.com. We also invite you to visit UnitedHomeCare.com and AvusConnect.org
To find out more about volunteering with AVUS Connect® and/or AVUS Tech Pals®, please write volunteer@avusconnect.org
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