Guest Opinion | Akila Gibbs: A Very Special Tech Anniversary

When everyone in America was directed to quarantine at home in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pasadena Senior Center shut its doors to everything except social services and other critical services for older adults in need.

Instead of canceling dozens of activities that beckoned hundreds of older adults every week, as many senior centers across the country did, my staff and I saw this as an opportunity. We sprang into action, learned about Zoom and how to offer most activities virtually.

For 60 years the Pasadena Senior Center has answered the call to meet challenges head-on. In this case, it was a matter of encouraging instructors and other activity hosts to embrace this change and provide classes and events in a whole new way. 

This use of technology makes delivery of our social, wellness and enrichment activities possible to everyone who has a computer, tablet or smartphone, as well as anyone who simply has a telephone and can listen to the live proceedings and ask questions without the benefit of video.

Now, as we mark the one-year anniversary of this evolution from tradition to technology, it is heartening to see numbers that serve as our success story: Thousands of members and nonmembers, whether they live in Pasadena or not, have participated in our Zoom activities from the comfort and safety of their homes and have logged well over 100,000 minutes every month for classes alone. 

Why is it so important for us to offer as many virtual activities as we can? Older adults need our services and we have a great responsibility to provide them. We want to keep the progression of online options as up to date and relevant as we can. 

Recent statistics show that the greatest causes of depression and anxiety in older adults during the quarantine, especially those who live alone, are loneliness and feelings of isolation and abandonment.

It is of utmost importance that they remain physically active and mentally engaged during the pandemic. Any who are 65 and older and live by themselves – 14 million Americans according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – are most at risk.

To fit the bill for physical activity, our Zoom offerings include nearly 20 dance, exercise and fitness classes; for staying mentally engaged, we offer Zoom activities including foreign languages, virtual acting, painting with watercolors, creative writing, The Masters Series for Lifelong Learning, a monthly astronomy presentation, musical programs, social get-togethers, holiday celebrations and more additional opportunities than I can count!

What have we learned from this experience? We have learned that even though tech literacy is a new skill for many older adults, they are eager to use Zoom technology for our activities, and they really enjoy them; that people don’t have to be physically in the same room to make new friends, maintain long-time relationships and engage in timely discussions; and that quite a few want some activities to be offered on Zoom even after it is safe to return to onsite gatherings at the Pasadena Senior Center. 

Another way to address feelings of loneliness and strengthen connections is through our Telephone Reassurance Program in which volunteers reach out by phone to older adults in Pasadena and surrounding cities to help us assess their wellness and welfare. Before the pandemic, about 225 calls were made every month to people who had signed up for the program; now that number has skyrocketed to 1,100 calls every month. 

Since March 2020 we have delivered more than 3,000 boxes of pandemic necessities to older adults in need, including toilet paper and groceries. We also delivered more than 6,000 weekly hot dinners and nearly 8,000 weekly lunches.

We have been on the lookout for pandemic-related scams that target older adults, and have kept everyone informed about myriad con jobs ranging from scammers trying to sell fake coronavirus insurance to offering phony free COVID-19 tests, all in an attempt to get Medicare and social security numbers to steal medical identities.

Now, one year into quarantine, we are waiting patiently for the day when everyone can be together again at the Pasadena Senior Center. In the meantime, stay safe and check in occasionally with older adults you know or who live in your neighborhood to brighten their days during this difficult time.

For more information about our programs and services, please visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org or call 626-795-4331.  

Akila Gibbs is the executive director of the Pasadena Senior Center.