One of the non-profits that I've been working a lot with during this Corona-virus lockdown has been Seniors with Skills. It's especially heart-warming to see students reaching out to help isolated seniors via the Online Buddy Program.
The non-profit has plenty of volunteers who are trained and ready to chat, but is having more trouble getting senior centers signed up to take advantage of these willing volunteers.
I hope to make a better movie once we get more footage, but here's a little movie I made of a video-chat session with a senior.
Do you want to help? Here's how!
Join the Online Buddy Program
Isolated Seniors:
Do you know anyone who is facing social isolation who might want to join the Online Buddy Program? Please have them contact SWS at volunteering@seniorswithskills.org.
Senior Facilities:
Do you know of a senior facility that houses seniors who would benefit from receiving video chats and might want to be part of the Online Buddy Program. Please have them contact SWS at volunteering@seniorswithskills.org.
Volunteer:
Do you want to volunteer to be an Online Buddy? Fill outthis form.
Spread the word
Do you know anyone (news, blog, social media?) who might be interested in featuring this story to raise awareness of this cause, and encourage more seniors living at home who are facing social isolation to join the Online Buddy Program?
As a tech-geek, I have been quite enamored with this age of social media and collaborative team tools. My mother, on the other hand, and many others in her generation have not been so quick to embrace new technologies.
However, due to our current situation, my mother decided to put aside her resistance and give Zoom a try. The result meant she was able to see all her children and great-grandchildren together for the first time in an extended family Easter party hosted on Zoom.
Jaya Manjunath is helping to make this scenario a reality for seniors everywhere. She's the founder of Seniors with Skills (https://www.seniorswithskills.org/), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the social isolation of senior citizens in North America.
Manjunath, a university student with a passion for helping the elderly, founded her nonprofit in 2018 with various programs including those to teach seniors how to use smartphones, computers, and technologies allowing them to be able to communicate with loved ones even when they aren't physically present.
With the onset of Covid-19 and physical distancing, Manjunath is focusing on the Online Buddy program allowing seniors to engage in video-chats with volunteers.
The organization has had an influx of volunteers and continues to get more people who are eager to help; however, at this point, there are more volunteers than there are seniors who are signed up for the program.
SWS's Online Buddy program includes any isolated seniors - whether they are in residential facilities or living on their own. We need your help in spreading the word!
Here's how you can help:
Join the Online Buddy Program
Isolated Seniors:
Do you know anyone who is facing social isolation who might want to join the Online Buddy Program? Please have them contact SWS at volunteering@seniorswithskills.org.
Senior Facilities:
Do you know of a senior facility that houses seniors who would benefit from receiving video chats and might want to be part of the Online Buddy Program. Please have them contact SWS at volunteering@seniorswithskills.org.
Volunteer:
Do you want to volunteer to be an Online Buddy? Fill outthis form.
Spread the word
Do you know anyone (news, blog, social media?) who might be interested in featuring this story to raise awareness of this cause, and encourage more seniors living at home who are facing social isolation to join the Online Buddy Program?
NHDD is about being prepared with healthcare decisions and having crucial conversations with your loved ones. You can check out the variety of resources available on the site and check out this blog post for ways to connect and celebrate National Healthcare Decisions Day.
I'm inspired to write this blog post because I stumbled upon a Fitbit Community blog today, asking readers to "Share Joy." Responses included quotidian things like:
Daffodils blooming
Clean kitchen drawers
Snuggling pups
Birds singing
just to name a few. Many of the responses noted (often quite poetically) having more time for creativity, relaxation, bonding, and connectedness.
Inspired by this blog, I found Fitbit's Community Blog Program with April's theme being none other than National Healthcare Decisions Day and "hard healthcare decisions":
You may know that National Healthcare Decisions Day is in April. We all face tough healthcare decisions in our life, whether it's for ourselves or someone else we love. What have you faced? How did you make the decision? What data did you use? What support did you need - and how did it change your life?
My tough decision was this: About a year and a half ago, I was told I had two degenerative back problems (severe scoliosis and osteoporosis). One doctor sounded so dire that it sounded as though I needed to prepare myself for a life of pain.
However, given the uncertainty of my future, I decided to retire a bit early, and make my health a priority. Most doctors agreed I should stop running, but, instead I did more weightlifting, walking, and dancing, avoiding anything that would compress my spine.
I've never felt healthier and happier since making these changes. I miss my work and running, but giving those things up have allowed me to have more time to travel and pursue other hobbies. I enjoyed a wonderful 60-weeks-until-60 project, having a different adventure every week.
I know that many people are suffering from hardships associated with the coronavirus, but I've been lucky. My friends and family are healthy and most are able to work from home.
So for me, similar to giving up running and my job, the changes due to the coronavirus have brought unexpected benefits. I actually have found more connection than ever with so many opportunities to help, to learn and to connect online. It's heartwarming to see the world unite and work to collectively and creatively find ways to help one another.
Thinking about a future of pain or even thinking about death is scary, but facing those fears and making some decisions may help us cope better and feel more prepared should our worst fears be realized.
Let's take today to be grateful for all the joys in our life, with renewed commitment to live each day fully (and at ease with our healthcare decisions)!
Here's a message for the TechGiants out there: Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon: As a tech-geek, I have loved your products! But the generation older than me...the ones who are suffering the most during the pandemic..have often been intimidated and may not even be able to use a computer at all. A wonderful non-profit, Seniors With Skills, had been distributing iPads, and are currently setting up video-chats with isolated seniors, but they need help! Let's get your voice-activated smart devices into the senior centers so isolated seniors can easily get visits from their loved ones, even when all the restrictions end! How about a competition to see who can get the most senior centers equipped and communicating with their loved ones the quickest? I don't know if these are the best products, but offer up your solutions and let's get the seniors connected to their loved ones! Facebook Portal+
I know that grocery-store shopping is something we're "allowed" to do, but based on my last experience, I wouldn't exactly call it "safe." I've been monitoring Walmart's online shopping app and discovered that, at least for the Sarasota store near me, that if you sign in a little after midnight, you can get delivery or pick up service any time the following day! For example if you log in at 12:01am (the first minute of Saturday) you can pick any hour on Sunday to have your groceries delivered or picked up. Checking at 5am, there were still some slots available, so if you're willing to order very early in the morning, you can get a spot for the next day. I thought I was set with groceries for a month, but it was nice to know this option would be available if needed. When I ran out of something essential (deodorant!) I decided to see how well online ordering and pickup would work. Both Becky and I had some other items that we were out of and so we took the opportunity to stock up on even non-essentials like candy! In Agile style, here's what worked well and what I think could be better: What worked well:
Availability of groceries
Whatever wasn't available, there were good substitutions
You could "check in" when you were on your way
Service was extremely fast! Someone was out as soon as I drove up!
Becky and I have been more intentional about what food we're buying
Our food and 'fridge are cleaner than ever!
I felt so much more secure than going into the store with the crowds
It was much easier to search for the food I needed online rather than in the grocery store
No need to wait in lines!
What could have been better
It would have been nice to be able to give a tip online
Of course, it would be nice if there was more availability
Since everyone started freaking out about the Corona virus, I've been somewhat manic about wanting to help. I've helped people throughout my career collaborate using online technologies. I also was an "Agile coach" which means I'm familiar with frameworks that help put some structure around dealing with change and uncertainty. If there was any time that I have the skills to help people, it would be now. And yet I feel helpless. Not because I'm stuck at home, but because the vastness of this crisis is so huge, involving everyone in the world. When I hear people predicting doom and gloom, I feel like "virtually screaming": CALM DOWN! but, yeah, I know...not helpful. It's like when there's an email storm and people hit Reply All to say: "Stop hitting Reply All!" One step better is my "Super Carpe Diem Woman is HERE to SAVE the DAY!" attitude.
I've had so many ideas of how I can help, and I am making progress on some of them. Baby steps, but steps, just the same. However, some of my ideas, when I really think about them, are quite ridiculous. For example, I thought I might create a Website to match people who want to help with those who can help. This would be like thinking I could swim across the ocean when I can barely swim a lap across a pool. To my relief, I realize that organizations that are already set up to match up volunteers are adapting to take into account remote volunteers. Besides this long list of remote opportunities that my daughter-in-law put together, I found last night that Volunteer Match has added a COVID-19 feature with 70,898 virtual opportunities available!
So for now, I'm finding peace these ways:
Enjoying long talks with my housemate, Becky, and other friends on the phone or via Web chats
Finding routine
Enjoying the beautiful sunsets and sunrises here
Enjoying music
Snuggling with Becky's cute little doggie, Jack
Walking
Enjoying serenity
Blogging
Trying to help small businesses with their online presence
Helping people with Zoom
Enjoying the creative efforts that are being shared on social media
Learning Wordpress
Taking Zumba classes over Zoom... maybe this should be called Zoomba?
Having patience
Learning iMovie
Trusting in a higher power
I've realized I can't swim the ocean, but I can help myself and others stay afloat together (maybe in our flamingo inner tubes!) as we wait out the storm.
The other day, I hosted a "Virtual Happy Hour" and had participation from friends from the UK, Australia, and Colorado. One thing I find amazing and surreal is that this is a crisis that the whole world is experiencing together. It's not a personal tragedy or a regional tragedy, but a world-wide tragedy. Somehow that ironically makes me feel more connected than ever. David, from the UK, had a couple of good ideas and suggestions for us all: 1) Pass along positive stories 2) Call 3 people every day The positive story he shared with us was the heartwarming experience of hearing all the people of London clapping from their balconies to honor and thank the medical professionals who are working so hard to save lives. Even though we can feel helpless when we're being asked to stay home, we see how Londoners were creatively and collectively able to show their support with this Clap for Our Carers event. I love the idea of calling friends, too. Today I called 4 friends and each of them helped spark more ideas that I can't wait to explore!
Even though he had his eyes closed at this particular moment, I wanted to share this photo of my WhatsApp videochat with David, who deserves credit for today's: Tell Me Something Good! Yay, David! Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience and a great idea of how we can foster our friendships!
I decided to start a new blog/vlog project: Tell Me Something Good! There's a lot of not-so-good... ok.. there's a lot of really bad stuff happening in the world now and social media is filled with those stories. But there are also so many positive and heart-warming stories and those are the ones I'm going to be sharing on "Tell Me Something Good!"
I'm part of a couple of walking groups and I even signed up to be a Walk Leader for Walk2Connect, an awesome organization that combines walking and social connection. Sarah leads a Walk Leaders meeting virtually via Zoom each week and we share ideas about how we can support our walk community and maintain connection, even though we're walking alone. One of the members, Robin Truesdale, is requesting "10-step-videos" and compiling them and putting them to music. Here's an example of the first:
Do you want to participate? Send your video with your 10-steps and where you took them to 10StepsTogether@gmail.com. Here's a video that I put together as part of the Walk With A Doc Physical Distance Challenge:
I love that despite the anxiety that we may be experiencing, we can step outside and notice little treasures that we may have taken for granted in our life BC (Before Corona). Here are some of the photos I've taken as I've been noticing my beautiful surroundings here in sunny Sarasota, Florida:
A lot of small business owners are worried about sitting idle and want to be working. However, in times like these, how about pivoting and temporarily fulfilling a much-needed service: safe food delivery?
I've been practicing self-isolation like the rest of the world, but I've been worried about the safety of grocery shopping for all of us.
Originally, I thought how lucky it is that online grocery shopping and delivery was available in most major cities; however, I quickly found that it's nearly impossible to get an order in at any of the grocery stores here in Sarasota.
A quick check on the Walmart Facebook page showed me that this seems to be a hit-or-miss problem. It seems to be working well in some places, but many places seem to just have a higher demand than they can handle. Even if I could get an order in, I wouldn't want to take the place of someone who might need the spot more than me.
I went ahead and risked going to the store, wearing protective gloves and trying to follow the physical distance rules, but there were a lot of shoppers and workers, so it was pretty difficult.
Of course, I'm very grateful for all those who are working so that we all can still eat, and I know there's a shortage of protective gear, even for medical staff, but I was surprised that none of the cashiers or stockers were wearing gloves or masks and they are being surrounded by crowds of people all day long! Many of these workers were older, so I was especially surprised to see them still working as usual, without even gloves.
I'm also so grateful for the kindness of people who offer to do grocery shopping for the elderly; however, it seems that many people aren't realizing that everyone is risking getting and spreading the virus when they go to the stores. People keep acting as though young people with no symptoms are immune, rather than realizing that we all take the risk of spreading it, even if we're not afraid of dying from it.
I've been pondering how we might be able to solve this problem and have thought about trying to organize neighborhood volunteer groups like Zoomers to Boomers. They have a thorough safety policy outlining how to handle the groceries. I'm not sure how they're able to obtain the face masks and protective gear, but it is at least reassuring that they are taking safety seriously and seem to have some gear.
Quite honestly, I wouldn't want to be responsible for sending volunteers out. I think it's too big of a risk. Whoever does this, as well as all of those grocery workers, and all the people who are out working, deserve to be protected and well-paid.
As a consumer, I would certainly pay and tip well for this service and I'm sure many others would, but it's just not available now.
UberEats is another alternative that's available for me here in Sarasota, so check out that option if you're running low on food or you want to treat yourself to a night off cooking.
However you get your food, please also follow the tips in this video to make sure that food is safe:
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