Salt Lake City— Social Isolation has been one of the constant struggles for all of us during COVID-19. However, this pandemic threatens one age group in particular. The chances of seniors being negatively impacted by COVID-19 are much higher than that of other age groups. Yet, we rarely seem to hear about how seniors are fighting this pandemic. Instead, we are enthralled by the constant chatter of reopening schools, businesses, and the countless number of COVID-19 cases. It seems that the people most in danger during these times are the ones least talked about.
Despite all this adversity, a group of older adults has taken matters into their own hands to defeat social isolation. Their idea is simple: the cure for social isolation is having people around you that care about you, online and offline.
You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Isn’t that pretty obvious?” Yes, it is obvious! And it’s exactly why this group of seniors has created something called the Village Movement, which turns out to be quite extraordinary. These seniors realized what they needed most to fulfill their aging experiences was a community of people they could count on. With this in mind, they developed organizational structures, processes, and technology requirements to aid their fight against social isolation. Today, over three hundred Villages have sprung up across the country and are helping tens of thousands of seniors age in their own homes while connecting with their neighbors.
This community-driven approach is unique because it adapts to the specific needs of each local community and Village. Thousands of seniors across the country are realizing the benefits of the Village Movement and fighting social isolation together. Discouraging times and somber news are paradoxically producing some of the most beautiful stories. In time, a lot of small stories can add up to a much larger whole.
Lamorinda Village, a Village in the San Francisco Bay Area, recently created a partnership with a local grocery store to help deliver groceries to Village members. Given the COVID-19 safety guidelines, it can be challenging for seniors to shop for themselves while putting their health at risk. Village volunteers and employees can help these seniors by not only delivering groceries directly to them but also creating a wellness program to look after Village members. They have organized a check-in system that makes it easy for seniors to make friendly calls to their neighbors via phone, facetime, zoom, and more. This allows the Village volunteers to check up on Village members about food, medications, and their general well-being. And above all, it gives these seniors a chance to socialize and let their neighbors know that they care about them, while coming together as a community during tough times.
Many Villages regularly hold Zoom events (meetings via online connection) offering Yoga classes, meditation, happy hours, or just coffee table meetings. Sausalito Village has even taken that idea one step further by hosting a weekly dinner night, in which they choose one of the finest restaurants in town and arrange dinner deliveries for Village members that share a delicious dinner with their neighbors and friends via online video chats.
Although it seems obvious that communities of seniors were bound to join together and form communities online and offline, the real challenge is for people to find information on Villages in their community they can join or create. The best way to find if there is a Village for you in your neighborhood is to Google “Village Movement” and then search the map of Villages on the ‘Village to Village Network’ website.
If there is not a Village in your area, chances are that new Village Founders are creating one. As groups of older adults recognize the value of these communities, Villages are popping up across the country rapidly. These Village Founders focus on what seniors need and make it a reality for others to enjoy. Villages can bring a plethora of values to each community including a volunteer force ready to help neighbors, simple tools to connect seniors online and offline, and a sense of community that creates a lasting impact on members.
Village Founders started these organizations with their own time, money, and effort. They have evolved into the most efficient and cost-effective support system for seniors to utilize. A key component of that efficiency has been technology. HelpfulVillage.com, a Utah-based tech company, provides many Villages with easy-to-use technology that allows Village leaders to establish their community by managing a website, events, newsletters, volunteer operations, and more. This tech company was recognized this week by Aging 2.0 as one of the best technology innovators worldwide in the fight against social isolation among older adults. Seniors developed the Village Movement, and this easy-to-use technology has allowed those seniors to build and grow their communities together.
As Villages continue to develop across the country, support from foundations, counties, and cities will be vital to their success. The integration of technology into Villages allows their leaders to present data, figures, and reports to demonstrate the efficiency of the Village Model as an Evidence-Based program. With the right approach, Villages can become an essential component of COVID task force plans for the foreseeable stay-at-home future.
COVID-19 has shown the importance of remaining connected, especially among seniors, and Villages have proven to be a great resource for seniors in a challenging time. If you wish to learn more about HelpfulVillage.com and how they can help improve your community, please email contat@helpfulvillage.com.