Technology for Seniors: Technology to Reduce Isolation and Loneliness for Improved Mental Health and Increased Social Engagement (3:00 PM - 3:20 PM)

Speakers: 

Quan Nguyen - SARSIS
Jaina Pallasigui - SARSIS
Bianca Cervantes - SARSIS

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated feelings of loneliness for older adults in senior living facilities due to isolation and bans on visitations to protect senior residents. Furthermore, the “digital divide” experienced by older adults limited access to online platforms for social engagement. Tech for Seniors provides technology training to serve low-income/fixed-income bilingual seniors so they can use technology as a tool to combat social loneliness and isolation. In this 20-minute workshop, attendees will be engaged directly to learn about the goals, methodology, evaluation, and best practices of the Tech for Seniors program. The session will incorporate engagement and learning activities by providing 20 attendees with an iPad to experience the Tech for Seniors program firsthand. Examples of activities include using the iPad to scan QR codes to read participant testimonials and bilingual YouTube tutorial videos, configuring the iPad to be age-friendly, and participating in a live demo of a Tech for Seniors group class. 
    

Learning Objective(s)    

1. Learn about a program that uses technology training for older adults can be an effective strategy to combat social isolation and loneliness
2. Understand why an intergenerational approach for older adult programs creates meaningful relationships and bi-directional learning
3. Understand best practices for technology program implementation for older adults

The Good Food District, A place-making Initiative (3:40 PM - 4:00 PM)

What we eat and where we get our food is a thread that is intimately woven into the fabric of community life. As such, we’ve come to a point in our work where we see the need for an innovative form of engagement that can positively disrupt many of our typical ways of knowing and doing. This concept is a form of regenerative place-making called the “Good Food District” (GFD) on Market Street.  
Our GFD initiative is a community-rooted place-making effort to address food insecurity in the neighborhoods of the Greater Southeastern San Diego (GSESD). We are creating an Equitable Food Oriented Development (EFOD), which aims to elevate and integrate urban agriculture as a key component of community revitalization in food-insecure neighborhoods.
In September 2022, we kicked off the first and only Mobile Farmers Market in our area; and we are creating a food-oriented mixed development plan. By elevating food sovereignty and integrating health and wealth-building strategies, this project will build much-needed community assets and power.

Learning Objective(s)    

1. Understand the importance of how community empowerment contributes to improved health outcomes