Addressing Social Isolation through Technology Solutions

Kristie Kulinski: Hello, on behalf of the Administration for Community Living (ACL), 

welcome to today's webinar, addressing social isolation through technology solutions. I'm 

Kristie Kulinski with ACL's Office of Network Advancement. We are so excited about the 

interest in this webinar with nearly 2,500 registrants. Next slide please. 

This webinar will highlight how technology can be leveraged to increase social engagement, 

including specific hardware and software options. Presenters will also identify resources for 

acquiring and distributing technology, as well as training mechanisms for older adults and 

adults with disabilities to use technology solutions designed to mitigate social isolation. A 

few housekeeping reminders, the link for closed captioning has been shared via the chat 

feature, all audio will remain muted for the webinar. However, we encourage you to use the 

chat feature for any questions you have, please feel free to chat in any questions or comments 

throughout the session. Please select the send a message to “all panelists” option. Recording 

of this session and slides will be made available on the ACL's COVID-19 webpage. 

I'd like to quickly draw your attention to an upcoming webinar that complements the 

information you'll learn about today. Successfully Engaging Older Adults and Adults with 

Disabilities via Technology, Strategies and Best Practices will take place July 9th at 1:00 

p.m. Eastern time and will highlight programs, best practices and tips for creating 

communities of learning and engagement via technology. Presenters will address marketing 

and outreach, barriers to participation, strategies for conversations and more. Anyone may

register for that webinar by visiting ACL.gov and checking out the announcement section of 

the website. Next slide please. 

Now, I would like to introduce our esteemed presenters. In the interest of time, I am sharing 

brief information, but there is certainly much more I could say about each of them. They are 

truly experts in this area and we are delighted to list their expertise on today's webinar. We 

have Majd Alwan, who is a Senior Vice President of Technology and Business Strategy and 

Executive Director of the LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST). We 

also have Cathy Bodine, who is the director for inclusive design at the University of Colorado 

Denver. She is also an associate professor in a number of departments. Scott Code is the 

Senior Director of the CAST team. Ryan Elza is the Social Entrepreneur for Social 

Connectedness at AARP Foundation. Sandy Markwoodis the Chief Executive Officer of the 

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Liz Persaud is the Training and Outreach 

Coordinator with Tools for Life which is Georgia's Assistive Technology program and of the 

Pass It On Center which is the National Assistive Technology Device Re-utilization 

Coordination and Technical Assistance Center. And finally, Carolyn Phillips, who is the 

director of Tools for Life, the Georgia Assistive Technology program and the Pass It On 

Center. Next slide please. 

Before I turn it over to Ryan Elza to get us started, a quick but exciting announcement. 

Earlier this week, we announced the Mobilizing and Empowering to Address Social Isolation 

Challenge. It seeks solutions that affect socially isolated individuals and match them with 

appropriate technology tools and social engagement programming that best meets their needs. 

Critical partners should include a team of stakeholders with relevant technical expertise as 

well as knowledge of technologies and programs that address social isolation. Preference will 
be given to teams that coordinate with or are informed by a state No Wrong Door System and 

I know we have a number of Systems grantees on the line today. It will be two phases with 

cash prizes awarded in each phase. The total prize available is $750,000 and the top two 

contenders will present at CEF 2021 in Las Vegas where the winner will also be announced. 

A registration email to register for the competition is due July 15th and the submissions for 

phase one are due on September 8th. For more specific info, you can visit the 

https://www.challenge.gov/ website. Now, I am going to turn it over to Ryan Elza with 

AARP foundation to get us started. 

Ryan Elza: Thank you so much. Hi, everyone, very pleased to be here and thank you, ACL, 

for pulling this event together today. I'm with AARP Foundation. We are the charitable 

affiliate of AARP and our mission is to serve lower income older adults around two pillars:

building economic resilience and social connectedness. Next slide please. 

So, even before the current coronavirus pandemic, research showed that prolonged isolation 

takes a real toll on individuals. Older adults and people with disabilities who were at 

increased risk of social isolation before the pandemic are the most at risk group now as we 

engage in the physical distancing. The statistic you see on the slide related to social isolation 

in older adults is from a recent research study conducted by the National Academies of 

Science, Engineering and Medicine released in February, 2020. This does not include the 

increased levels of social isolation as a result of COVID-19 and physical distancing practices. 

Social isolation is a health issue. The risks of prolonged isolation are equivalent to smoking 

15 cigarettes a day and staying connected to people and the things that matter to us are 

fundamental to our well-being. People need social connections to thrive. Isolation and 

loneliness are closely related but there are differences I want to talk about. Social isolation, 

when we think about it is objective: the size of the social network, the frequency of contact 

and the availability of transportation and the ability to take advantage of support resources. 

Whereas we look at loneliness, it is more subjective. It's the feeling of not having the 

connections and companionship that we need as humans. For many of us, the pandemic has 

upended our daily lives and routines. It has a dramatic impact on the way we stay connected. 

Now more than ever, we need to be vigilant, to take measures to keep ourselves, the people 

we love, and the people we serve, socially engaged and connected to their passions and loved 

ones. Next slide please. 

So, I'm going to talk a little bit about how technology can be used to address social isolation.

I am not going to talk specifically about certain hardware or software programs that are 

available, as my colleagues will talk more in depth about those. I will be talking about many 

different ways that technologies of all sorts can be used during this time in order to maintain 

social connections and build new relationships. Next slide please. 

So, there is a universe of technology that exists out there, and there are solutions across 

different types of platforms and ways people can use technology to stay connected and 

informed, and have access to resources. Here on the slide, we have outlined all the different 

possibilities that you can use in order to stay connected. These could be low tech solutions, so 

anything from using your phone to stay connected through calling and messaging to thinking 

about how smart phones and increased capabilities of those devices are able to provide realtime, face-to-face interactions with loved ones or access to health and information, telehealth 

resources, and things along those lines. Also, you can think about how technology can be 

used in your everyday life in order to access essentials. So, how can you use the different 

online resources or platforms for online ordering in order to place grocery orders, for 
example, when you're not able to safely leave your home. There are also ways to maintain 

your exercise routine and wellness. So, there are many different applications and websites 

and resources that exist out there that can walk you through different exercises and routines 

that match your own individual levels of physical capabilities and also can provide a sense of 

community through different online interactions and communities around these topics. You 

can also use technology to stay up-to-date on the latest information and resources. There are a 

variety of websites that are available that provide up-to-date information related to COVID19, related to many important topics, that individuals can access. There is also a number of 

online communities and classes that exist out there that individuals can take part in. These 

don't have to be through computers or tablets. There are opportunities, there are different 

programs, that you will hear a little bit about later, where you can dial into conference lines 

and participate in remote telephonic based experiences. Technology allows you to access the 

latest news and information and also provides opportunities to still engage in virtual 

volunteering. While we may not be able to physically volunteer, there are opportunities that 

exist for individuals to volunteer virtually and there are also ways that people can use 

technology to stay entertained and participate in online games and activities that allow 

individuals to find that sense of fulfillment and purpose. You can access all sort of wonderful 

content out there on the web related to books, videos, and other types of resources. Next slide 

please. 

I am going to give a couple tips related to getting and staying connected that folks can walk 

away with. These are things that you can think about in your own lives but also for the people 

that you are working with and serving. Number one, commit to contacting a friend or family 

member you haven't been in touch with regularly. Two, schedule a time with a friend to talk 

every single day. That can be through the phone or that can be through video chat. Three, 

even though technology is a really great way to stay connected and engaged in the world, it is 

still also important to encourage folks to get outside and stay physically active when they are 

able to and to do it safely. Four, get involved in online group activities or interesting virtual 

communities. For example, there are groups organized around faith, fitness, movies, music, 

sports or books. Five, check out to see if your local senior center is offering virtual games or 

activities that you or the people you work with are able to engage with. Six, as I mentioned 

before, volunteer to deepen your sense of purpose. There are ways to get help from the safety 

of your home like making calls or mailing or fundraising. Seven, stay connected to your 

neighbors. Meeting new people in your community is a great way to connect with people of 

all ages. And eight, do something pleasant or soothing for yourself every day. Keeping a 

positive frame of mind helps us connect. A couple of resources to let you be aware of from 

AARP Foundation. We have our Connect to Effect, a forum where you can learn more about 

social isolation and find resources and tools to stay connected. AARP also has a coronavirus 

updates page that has all the latest updates including tips for older adults on avoiding social 

isolation. AARP Community Connections, where individuals can find or start a mutual aid 

group, get assistance or connect with people in your community and lastly, where there are 

opportunities that you can find links to home our revote volunteering opportunities. Thank 

you for taking the time to listen today and look forward to staying connected. 

Kristie Kulinski: Thank you so much, Ryan. Now we will turn it back to the team at 

LeadingAge CAST. 

Majd Alwan: Thank you, Christie. Thank you, Ryan for this introduction. My name is Majd 

Alwan, I'm the Senior Vice president with LeadingAge and I am the Executive Director for 

Aging Services Technology and for those of you who are not familiar it is a 501(c)(3) 
nonprofit that has over 5000 aging service providers serving over 4 million earlier adults and 

caregivers on a daily basis. Our providers are across the continuum from home and 

community-based services, to housing, to continuing retirement communities or what is now 

known as lifetime communities, all the way to skilled nursing facilities. The CAST Center is 

a unique program that focuses on technology and helping our members and the population 

they serve, in terms of selecting and implementing the most appropriate technology solutions. 

We have been focused on developing hands-on tools that would help the providers select 

from commercially available products and technologies and programs. Since 2012, and in 

2017, we launched a portfolio focusing on social connectedness technologies. Next slide. 

We focus on the social connectedness technologies because we have seen a significant 

interest from our members and their clients and the families in remaining sort of connected to 

their loved ones in retirement communities and throughout the spectrum of aging services. So 

that portfolio follows a similar layout of the other portfolios that we launched initially. And 

we are distinguishing that portfolio between two types of social connectedness technologies, 

one that is focused on sort of self-initiated connections like social networks, video chats, 

audio chats, between older adults and their friends and family. But there is also another 

important category that our members, particularly who’re interested in in terms of mediated 

or moderated conversations, the ability to push content and prompt and get people and 

residents and clients to engage more proactively. Think of it of as more proactive socially 

connected to modalities, whether sharing life stories, sharing information about community 

activities and event management, group exercises, mental exercises, games, music, common 

interest groups and facilitated communications and conversations and so on and so forth. 

There are even obligations, as we will see, that include companion apps and even robotic 

applications, including virtual reality. Next slide. 

So, the embodiments of these technologies vary significantly. Some of them have multiple 

user groups, some of them connect the caregiver to a family member to keep the family 

informed, in addition to connecting the care recipient or the older adult with their family and 

loved ones, as well as their professional caregivers and their peers. Again, the interfaces vary 

significantly. It could be a smart phone for the family caregiver or the professional caregiver 

but it could be a tablet or even a common large screen signage inside the community or inside 

the room, like the resident’s television set. That is one of the examples. Next. 

The other embodiments include sorts of tablets, and we have seen recently, in the last couple 

of years particularly, a significant interest in and rise in the use of voice control devices, like 

Amazon's Alexa and Google home and Google home mini because these represent a very 

simple user interface that is very intuitive and is capable of solving issues for individuals with 

vision impairment. For example, those who do not like to use a regular tablet or a smart 

phone. Most recently, some of these technology companies have elected to incorporate and 

integrate with mobile robotic platforms to send the mobile robots into rooms where there is 

isolation for the sake of safety of caregivers who would usually bring the tablet to the 

individual and so on and so forth. And of course, the video chat capabilities are one of the 

most used functionalities on these embodiments. Next. 

Some of these technologies are also used not only for social connectedness and video chat 

with family members, which is extremely important, especially again in these times, during 

the pandemic and under shelter in place and isolation and quarantine circumstances. But 

some of them were actually used for improving the functionalities of the individuals for 

physical therapy, for example, or occupational therapy. This is an example from INT L, one 
of the first companies that conquered the space and primarily focused initially on skilled 

nursing facilities and congregant living settings and a senior housing. Again, seeing the need 

for more person centered solutions and more solutions aimed at individuals and the broader 

community, they created the tablet application. I believe that they have, just during the 

pandemic as an example, launched a project vital in ownership with the Department of Elder 

Affairs in the state of Florida and distributed about 300 of these tablets and over a short 

period of time of about a month, they have had over 4000 video calls between residents and 

their loved ones during the pandemic. Next. 

Another example that combines visual stimulation and entertainment aspect, is these bikes 

that show you a certain trail. The handlebars can control the direction of the image you are 

seeing or the video you are seeing. As the cyclist is peddling its reflected in what they are 

seeing on the screen, and also, the undulations of the path on the screen that is 

preprogrammed, actually reflects a resistance on the peddling itself and again. This has been 

shown to show improvement in cognitive scores, more than just physical stimulation alone, 

or visual stimulation on its own. Last slide. 

Again, some of these also incorporate, as you can see, giving medication. This is a system 

that uses the connect sensor bar and can be used for not only measuring posture and range of 

motion, but implementing exercise routines as games. What I love about these, this category 

of technology, is when we first launched in 2017, we had only about 25 or 20 solutions and 

now, the matrix and its last update has over 45 of the solutions. Again, some of these, most of 

these, were designed for service providers, but some of them are available to the consumers 

directly. What I love specifically about this category is you see the impact on the quality of 

life of the residence immediately. It is a want, it is fun, people sort of gravitate to it and stick 

to it and do it and at the same time, you can layer on top of these want-based types of 

interventions, namespace interventions like telehealth, like virtual visit check in with a 

physician, lifetime rehabilitation results. Scott is going to give you a quick overview of the 

overall portfolio and show you the online selection tool. 

Scott Code: Thank you, next slide please. So, I just want to reiterate what he was saying. We 

have a lot of tools and resources available on our website, LeadingAge CAST, each 

technology selection tool has five major components. In 2017, we launched the Social 

Connectedness Engagement Technology Tool. It has a white paper that goes over all the 

information he was talking about plus information about important planning steps, models, as 

well. And we actually have an interactive selection tool and major case studies that highlight 

use cases of these technologies being deployed. Next slide please.

One of the reasons why this product category has been exploding recently is the evolution of 

a lot of different accessibility features such as zoom, voice-recognition, visual cues, that help 

people that have never used a computer or a tablet or technology before have access to this 

and force recognition has been blowing up. Next slide. 

As I mentioned, we have a white paper that covers all the different types and uses of social 

connectedness technologies. It is very expansive so if you don't feel like reading the 50-page 

white paper, we created an interactive guide that walks you through the white paper by 

entering yes/no questions such as you understand the different types of technologies and if 

you said no, will give you a summary of what the technologies are and linking to the white 

paper if you want to dive deeper. Next slide. 
The other thing we did is, we do a lot of product research so people don't have to go out on 

their own research to see what vendor is doing what with key features and functionalities.

And what we have done is create a product matrix that has all these different questions we 

ask managers to complete, what do you use, what customers you have, what is your focus 

area, what type of program development do you have and we send that to all the vendors in 

the space and they complete it. This is a screenshot of the product matrix itself. It was created 

with a group of vendors and aging service providers and users to vet whether we are asking 

the right questions and also vet the overall matrix when it is published. I encourage you to go 

to our website, just to look at this resource because it could save you a lot of vendor research 

because we kind of do that up front for you. Every year, we have a formal update of this

product matrix to add new vendors and update existing vendors that have new product 

features and functionalities. Next slide. 

The list itself has about 250 elements, which can be overwhelming, so we created an online 

tool where you can come to our website and answer 8 to 10 simple questions, about video 

chat, what type of embodiment you need, tablets, etc., and we will give you a short list of 

vendors that meet your needs. Also, if the vendor had partnered with a provider there would 

be use cases that highlight real-world situations of how these technologies are being used. In 

summary, I encourage you to go to our website and leverage this resource, it is free to 

everyone to use and it's a great starting point for everyone who needs a little bit of guidance 

on where to start and important planning steps. Thank you. 

Kristie Kulinski: Thank you so much. Now we are going to turn it over to Carolyn and Liz 

with the pass it on center at Georgia Tech. 

Carolyn Phillips: Excellent, thank you for having us. I am thrilled to be here with you. You 

can move to the next slide. What we are going to be doing, Liz and I, is we have worked 

together for what, 20 something years, so we are going to be sharing this time. I will be 

talking about things to consider when selecting technology. You heard our awesome partners, 

with some great resources. But where a lot of the magic happens is when you actually apply it 

to the individual, so we will give you quick tips on how to do that and some resources around 

that. Then, Liz Persaud, who is internationally known for making connection and acquisition 

happen when it comes to distribution technology, is going to give you tips about that. We are 

happy to be with you and appreciate the leadership of ACL in pulling all of this together. We 

will move to the next slide. 

Person centered approaches and person centered design of technology, that absolutely falls 

right into how this needs to happen when it comes to matching that device, that solution, that 

app, that strategy, it could be a low-tech or no tech solution, to the individual. So it is very 

important that the individual is involved. We are lucky in Georgia that we would get to work 

with our Director of Aging Services, Abby Cox, and our awesome network of ADRCs. It's 

great that we are all on the same page about this and we have seen a tremendous 

implementation happening because of that approach. Making sure that it is what the person 

wants, it is what they need, and then moving forward. The second tip is really thanks to them. 

If you don't know your assistive technology program, we encourage you to get to know them 

and think about who all should be on their team. The person who you are working with, the 

older adult, individual with a disability, that is the lead person, and figuring out who else 

needs to be there. Is it a speech language pathologist? Is it a communication issue? Is it 

somebody who was in within LeadingAge, is it somebody within the ADRC system? Could it 

be a physical therapist, rehab engineer? A number of folks and figuring out how can we 
figure out if this is a best fit and if it meets the functional needs of each individual and help 

folks become more independent. We see this happen all the time. I believe we are collectively 

brilliant and that goes right back to team and we really can find AT solutions (assistive 

technology solutions), mainstream tech solutions, building upon the good resources you have 

been hearing about. The other pieces really focus on the individual’s functional needs and 

what are their skills, their strengths, what does the person bring? We, at Georgia Tech, at the 

Center of Inclusive Design and Innovation, are more focused on the human model, the social 

model, not so much the medical model of this is a patient or what have you. We employ, 

obviously looking at the human first that Cook and Hussey have in their book that is very 

well known internationally, we follow that as part of the model. Asking those critical 

questions of what does this individual need and how can we help with technology strategies 

and solutions. Looking at a built-in environment issue - is it a digital environment issue and

then have them build upon that. We will move to the next slide. 

I will encourage you to keep it simple. The simplest solutions, just like Scott was talking 

about, some of the different features within the phone or within the computer, sometimes, the 

solution is in your purse pocket or what have you, sometimes the solution already exists in 

the environment and it's just we haven't turned on the universal design features or 

accessibility features. This is where your program can really help and where we can help to. 

So think about that. Also, when you're thinking about goodness of matching, you've got to 

think about the long term - who is going to support this when you leave the situation, who is 

going to cover the repair cost, or what have you? Once again, our ADRC's in Georgia have 

done a great job in their thinking about keeping it simple and translating that across the state. 

One other thing, last thought I will leave with you. Usually when we do this talk, it is well 

over an hour. So keep in mind that try before you buy. The evidence is there, the research 

shows. It is very important to actually try things out and your programs can help with that, we 

can help guide you through the partners you have heard from already. They can help with that 

too and Dr. Cathy Bodine is going to help you figure that out also. Our vendors have a return 

policy and allow for that, some of the ADRC's around the country actually have labs. We do 

that in Georgia. So, we will move to the next slide. I am going to turn us right over. Take it 

away. 

Cathy Bodine: Thank you so much. I am going to take the next few moments and talk to you 

all about acquiring and distributing technology, so this will be great information whether you 

are an individual in the community that wants to know how to access assistive technology to 

actually get it in your hands, if you will, or even if you're a professional that is working in the 

AT field or the assistive technology use field and wanting to know more about distributing 

technology as well. Next slide please. 

So, we are going to get back to the basics here and Carolyn mentioned this twice, especially 

when it comes to try before you buy. Try things out before you purchase it, so we want to 

encourage you to contact your statewide assistive technology act program and you can do that 

by visiting the AT-3 center. These are statewide programs for each state and territory. By 

contacting them, you will be able to talk about accessing assistive technology and also direct 

services like training, the demonstration programs, the equipment lending - that is exactly 

how you are able to try before you buy, if you will. There are also all sorts of information you 

can talk to them about, including funding education - that is also an important piece on 

acquisition. Those of us who are in the assistive technology program world, we often say we 

never talk about assistive technology without having a conversation of funding. It isn't good 
enough for us to educate about assistive technology and how to access it, but also how to 

acquire it and what are funding options are out there. Contact your statewide assistive 

technology act program. Next slide please. 

So, along with that, we want to encourage you to learn more about said assistive technology 

programs, but to also access to our local community assistive technology reuse program. 

Reuse of assistive technology or even durable medical equipment - things like wheelchairs, 

walkers, hospital beds, canes, crutches, what have you. These are all important programs. 

Often, we are talking about people waiting on insurance, waiting for approval, or maybe they 

just need a backup piece of equipment. The reuse program can really help fill in those gaps. 

These are such important programs out in our communities and we encourage you to contact 

your local reuse program, just to talk about what types of equipment they offer and what type 

of the reuse activities they engage in. By doing that, you can go to the Pass-It-Along Center 

website to find your local AT-3 reuse program as it is another cost effect of way to access 

assistive technology and durable medical equipment. Next slide please. 

We encourage you to also contact your local Center for Independent Living (CIL). Here in 

Georgia, we have a strong partnership with our CILs all across Georgia. We know many 

assistive technology programs end up connected to the Center for Independent Living. We 

always say that you are truly living independently and not using assistive technology and that 

independent living and assistive technology are undeniably linked together. When you have 

both of those together, that formula creates great success in someone's life. We encourage 

you to contact your local CIL, not only to learn about solutions but how AT-3 can play a 

major role in this person centered approach. We've got some links here - I definitely 

encourage you to reach out to the National Council on Independent Living to find your local 

Center for Independent Living. I just want to encourage folks to reach out to local groups in 

your community, so your local Muscular Dystrophy Association, cerebral palsy, local groups 

- those are also great ways to have some basic conversations to talk about assistive 

technology just to get your foot in the door to start that conversation. Next slide please. 

Last but not least, one of my favorites. We just want to encourage you to think about apps as 

assistive technology. It is important not to forget about that. Apps for your phone, your 

tablets, your PCs, your Macs, what have you, they are everywhere. There are so many app 

databases out there and we just encourage you to take some time and do some hunting 

around, do some research. This is just one and it belongs to Tools for Life. It's an app finder 

here at Georgia Tech and we have recently added two new categories, all focused on social 

distancing and teleworking because of the changes in our lives that are actually happening 

right now. This is just one of the app databases out there but we encourage you to really think 

about apps as assistive technology. There is so much out there that can help with 

organization, personal care and safety, relaxation, mental health, sign language, reading 

books, reading other documents, and as we said, social distancing, teleworking, vision, 

writing - you name it. So many apps out there that could be beneficial to folks as assistive 

technology. I will turn the microphone back over to Carolyn. 

Carolyn Phillips: Thank you so much, Liz, we will turn this right back on over. 

Kristie Kulinski: Thank you so much, Liz and Carolyn, now we are going to hear from 

Sandy Marwood. 
Sandy Marwood: Thank you so much. You have heard about the importance of social 

isolation and many raised that technology can be part of the solution in addressing this health 

issue. As the CEO of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, which represents 

the nation’s 662 Area Agencies on Aging and serves as a voice in Washington for the Title 

VI American Aging Program that provide services and supports to millions of older adults, 

people with disabilities, and their caregivers, I'm here to tell you where the aging network is 

currently and where we hope to be on addressing social isolation through the use of 

technology. First, AAAs are realizing that social isolation poses health issues for older adults, 

people with disabilities and caregivers long before COVID-19 hit. Almost overnight, they 

launched new programs and services using technology to deliver services to our existing 

client base, as well as to new clients. In a recent survey of members, we found that 83% of 

AAAs were serving new clients and nearly 70% noted that their existing clients needed more 

intensive services than before COVID-19. So, given this increase in the need and service 

delivery of technology, technology is important. The AAAs activated the technological 

solutions they could with nearly 40% moving traditional services such as evidence-based 

health promotion, wellness programs, and caregiver supports to virtual during the pandemic 

but almost all agencies on Title VI programs expanded their telethon and telephonic 

reassurance programs to ensure they were doing wellness checks on vulnerable older adults 

and also supporting them. Like everyone else right now, we are looking forward to what 

service delivery will look like in the “new normal”. As we look at how we can blend in 

technology as a standalone delivery tool and how we can blend technology effectively with 

in-person services once those can be reinstated, we are really doing it in a way that is person 

centered for disability programs. Providers are well positioned to distribute technology to 

older adults and caregivers and in the recent survey I mentioned before, 86% of AAAs are 

looking to support clients that have limited or no technological access. They also may have 

equipment but don't know how to use it so training is an important component. 83% are 

looking for technological solutions to address social isolation and 47% are looking to provide 

direct assistance on telehealth to clients. It is important to recognize the health applications 

and impacts of social isolation. Next slide. 

They have already been distributing technological solutions to clients that are socially 

isolated using whatever resources they have available. As this slide notes, by utilizing the 

new CARES Act funds that have been distributed throughout the aging network to develop 

and purchase equipment, as well as using Older Americans Title III funding. Use those across 

the board because, as this slide notes, the primary focus now of Area Agencies on Aging is to 

see if they can meet the nutritional needs of isolated older adults as well as to address their 

social isolation needs. It reinforces the important role that technology in the aging and 

disability networks can play in the telemedicine arena. They are recognizing that many clients 

don't have access to equipment and even if they have the access, they don't know how to use 

it. Recognizing this and exploring new avenues, they may be able to use technology, by using 

the Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment funds to purchase equipment. As we look at all of 

these opportunities, I want to point out the State Units on Aging have been very supportive. I 

want to mention the expansion of distribution in New York and in Florida, the distribution of 

robotic pets to people with dementia during the COVID crisis - whoever received the ADRC 

funding are also investing that and helping them to distribute technology. Throughout the 

crisis, they will continue to step up and look for ways to distribute technology and best use a 

range of technology to address the needs of socially-isolated older adults as we continue to 

look at the equipment and training in the appropriate blending of technology with in-person 

services to meet people's needs. 
Kristie Kulinski: Thank you so much. Now, finally, certainly not least, I would like to turn it 

over to Cathy Bodine with the University of Colorado to wrap up. 

Cathy Bodine: Thank you so much, it has really been --

Kristie Kulinski: I apologize for interrupting; you are sounding a bit distant. I just want to 

make sure the audio quality is good for our participants. 

Cathy Bodine: Okay. Is this better? 

Kristie Kulinski: It is a bit better. Thank you. 

Cathy Bodine: I will do my best. Thank you so much and, as Kristie said, I am trying to 

bring us all back together again and I am going to talk about training. There are all kinds of 

training you can pick up on as we go forward - there is training for technology on software 

and apps. Next slide. 

So, one of the most important things you can remember on learning to use the technology is 

that the most important thing is to understand what type of training you need. We will come 

back to that in just a minute but I would like to move onto the next slide. The training is one 

of the most important things you can understand. There are those using the technology, care 

providers, setting up technology, each of whom who have a different training need and many 

of them have many different learning styles. It is highly critical to understand who the 

audience is that you are thinking of implementing. Next slide. 

Again, coming back to the type of training that is needed, is it an app or software? Does 

someone need to learn about accessibility features, or does someone need to learn how to 

choose the correct features? All of these are very important and it may need a different 

person, or maybe the same person, or maybe there is not a lot of support in the technology. 

No matter how good it is, is not going to work unless people know how to use it. It is really 

critical to understand what type of training is needed. Next slide. 

So, there are so many resources out there, with a number of them already mentioned, I tried 

to take a few examples I will talk about more soon. I had very dear friends in the late 80s, 

who have spent more time at the Genius Bar that they pay for in terms of their iPad at the cost 

of their iPad, but they are very, very helpful. The technology services, senior training for use 

of technologies, AARP, public libraries - no matter where you live, there is a public library. 

There is training going on for the use of technology and Medicare, even as classes you can 

take online to learn to use a computer. Investigating where you can find training is really 

critical. Next slide.

Accessibility features - these are built-in features that are very important that may make the 

difference on the device. There is the need to select the accessibility features - many major 

tech companies all have support teams to help with training on the accessibility features. The 

technology programs are also incredible resources. Each state and territory in our country has 

a technology act program and you can go to the AT-3 center and get a list of programs that 

are close to you. Learning these accessibility features and how it can be used is very 

important to access the technology. Next slide please. Again, talking about choosing 

accessibility features and matching, as we mentioned earlier, the needs of the technology 

features depends on the user. We never want to match the user to the technology, the 
technology has to work with the user. So there are all kind of folks around the country, 

programs can get you to a local resource. There are places like United Cerebral Palsy 

Association or things that are deployed in a nursing home facility, you know, companies like 

INT L, they also provide training. So it is very important to really make sure that you are 

thinking about what exactly it is that you are training. Community colleges and universities 

and colleges throughout the country have disability services programs. If someone is taking a 

free course at a community college, you can visit with disability services and get some help 

with learning to use the technology you have or the accessibility feature. Next slide please. 

That is a very brief, quick overview of some of the training considerations to think about and 

some of the places you might go. I'm sure we are all happy to provide you with more 

information. Thank you very much and I will turn it back over. 

Kristie Kulinski: Thank you so much and my thanks to all of our presenters for those present 

for presentations. We have had a number of questions and comments come through in the 

chat and it is quite evident that people are really appreciating the information and resources 

that are being shared. As Carolyn noted, we could spend far longer than an hour, as this is 

certainly a truncated version of what could be a day or two-day seminar. We would like to 

take some of your questions on the remaining time we have. We have had a number that have 

come in - unfortunately we are not going have time to get to them all but I would like to 

address some. The first question I opened this up to any of our panelists, talked quite a bit 

about a variety of tech strategies directed at older adults and adults with disabilities. Any 

feedback or suggestions for individuals who are living in more rural areas who may have 

limited access to Internet or do not have access to Internet and what type of technology 

solutions may be available to them? 

Scott Code: This is Scott Code. One of the things I want to mention, even in our matrix 

online tool, there are organizations that provide input on their product or service that aren't so 

technology focused. One program I am talking about, if you don't have access to Internet but 

you want to do a telephonic based program, there is a great program called Well-Connected 

where you can connect with older adults either on the phone or online. It is available 

nationally - that is one option if someone doesn't have any connection to the Internet. 

The other thing that our white paper does is we look at available subsidies to acquire Internet 

connectivity and one of those options is the FCC's Lifeline Program. For individuals who 

qualify for this program, they can get a significantly discounted Internet service, again, 

wherever it is available. Some of the options include satellite Internet service, which can be 

extremely expensive if it is not through the Lifeline Program. 

Kristie Kulinski: Excellent, thank you so much. Another question about technical assistance. 

If your organization would like to provide iPads or another technology to older adults but 

they want to be sure that the devices are actually used and don't get cast aside if there are 

issues or challenges with utilizing the devices - to the programs that provide technical 

assistance or other types of organizations providing technical assistance, once the devices are 

provided, they are actually used? 

Sandy Markwood: Kristie, this is Sandy, and I would have to say that that is one of the goals 

that the Area Agencies on Aging have is to see if they are distributing devices. Along with 

the device comes training and it is not just a one-time training, there are continual check ins 

to make sure the devices being used. So, I think, as I mentioned, they need to be blended, you 
can give people equipment but you also need to give them training. It can't be a one-time 

training, it needs to be continuous. I know it was mentioned earlier, but we have partnered 

with OATS, the Older Adults Technology Services to help us through our resource center to 

provide that level of training. They are also doing trainee trainer program, so that is critical. 

Also, I would add, many of the technologies that are out there have built-in capabilities to 

track use, especially those that are designed for engagement. In other words, there should be a 

moderator, a program activity director or someone who is pushing content. That is why we 

emphasize the importance of engagement technologies that have these capabilities and the 

programs that have the engagement element, rather than just relying on the person's own 

initiative. These two factors, the monitoring capability and the pushing content and 

engagement aspect from a moderator are the two other important aspects in addition to the 

availability of the technology for training of all the different stakeholders. 

Kristie Kulinski: Terrific, thank you. Was somebody else chiming in? 

Carolyn Phillips: This is Carolyn, I was going to say, building on what they were saying, I 

would also encourage folks to point you right back to your AT programs. A lot of us just 

have contracts where we can provide that kind of technical assistance and we rely upon all 

the resources you just heard about, along with OATS. Thank you. 

Kristie Kulinski: Terrific, one final question, I recognize we have one minute left so we will 

be very brief. What about providers who are serving very low income people who may not be 

able to afford some of the tech solutions that were addressed today? I know, Majd Alwan, 

you noted the FCC program, are there other programs out there that allow individuals to 

access these solutions? 

Majd Alwan: Absolutely, many of our members, almost all of our members are not-for 

profits. They have charity care and many of them actually do offer these technologies, 

regardless of ability to pay as a standard of care. For those who live on their facilities, we are

advocating for Internet connectivity with the federal government. Internet connectivity in 

affordable housing communities, for example, in partnership with a number of our housing 

providers and AARP. There is always the vital program I mentioned, which is from a grant 

from the Alzheimer's Association and the Department of Elder Affairs. There are a lot of 

grant opportunities, CMP money was mentioned as well, so charitable funding, grant funding 

and standard of care for those who serve the lower income populations in addition to the 

Lifeline Program, which is primarily for the Internet connectivity, just to be clear. 

Kristie Kulinski: Think you and thank you to all of our presenters today. We have more 

questions coming in - we unfortunately didn't have time but we know there is a lot of interest 

in this topic. On behalf of ACL and my colleagues, we are grateful for your time today. We 

are so grateful to all of the participants who logged in today as well, so thank you so very 

much enjoy the rest of your day and have a great weekend. Thank you.