Trifecta: Socialization

Celebrate Our Senior Nutrition Program

March 2021

Learning Objectives

Understand the socialization challenges faced by the aging network and the tribal nations

Highlight the importance of community, connections, and innovative ideas for combatting social isolation

Demonstrate how to use virtual programming to promote socialization

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Agenda

Welcome

Celebrate the Senior Nutrition Program Update  

Network Speakers

Anna Feltz, Director, Old Bridge New Jersey Senior Center (New Jersey)

Jasmine  Aplin, JD - Office of American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian Programs, ACL  

Question and Answer

Closing

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Reminders

Questions should be held until the end of the presentations and placed in the Q&A box.  Please do not type questions in the chat box.

Additional questions may be submitted up to one week after the webinar.  

Questions will be compiled for each speaker.

Please write the presenter’s name for who the question(s) are intended for in the subject line.

Please direct all inquiries and requests for Certificates of Attendance to Nicole.Becerra@acl.hhs.gov

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Update

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Celebrate the Senior Nutrition Program

Webinars

Community Toolkit

Senior Nutrition Program Toolkit 

Activity Guides

Tip Sheets and Guides

Share Your Work

Social Media Tools 

Program Value

Infographic and poster 

Tools to promote your program value

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Resource Links-

Webinars: https://acl.gov/SeniorNutrition

Community Toolkit: https://acl.gov/SeniorNutrition/CommunityKit 

Share Your Work: https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/programs/Senior_Nutrition/ActivitySubmissionFormRelease.pdf 

Program Value: http://www.acl.gov/seniornutrition 

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Activity Guides

Activities promote socialization

Incorporate COVID precautions

Guide includes steps of preparation needed, how to participate and supporting information

7 guides posted in the Community Tool-kit

https://acl.gov/SeniorNutrition/CommunityKit

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Share Your Work

Materials located at https://acl.gov/SeniorNutrition/CommunityKit

Submit photos and activity descriptions of your innovative and best practices

Share how your program is making a difference

Complete the Activity Submission Form and email to the following address: healthpromotion@acl.hhs.gov

*We will share program information; however, we may not be able to share all submissions. 

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Resource Links-

Activity Submission Form: https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/programs/Senior_Nutrition/ActivitySubmissionFormRelease.pdf 

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Social Media Tools

Use Senior Nutrition Program Celebration graphics to spread the word!  Post to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn 

Eight different designs to add variety and interest

Use our official hashtag -  #seniornutritionprogram

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Key Resources

www.acl.gov/seniornutrition

Final webinar:  Trifecta Part 3 – Health and Well-Being Registration

https://acl.gov/SeniorNutrition/CommunityKit

March Calendar

Include connection activities to promote socialization

Use infographics to promote your program to your community and stakeholders

Social Media – Post on social media and include hashtag #seniornutrition and graphics to create interest 

Activity Submission Form - Share innovation and best practices with ACL

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Resource Links-

Activity Submission Form: https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/programs/Senior_Nutrition/ActivitySubmissionFormRelease.pdf

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Anna Feltz

Manager, Silver Linings at Old Bridge

NISC Leadership Collaborative - NJ Representative

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Preventing Social Isolation During the COVID-19

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What We’ll Talk About-Part 1

Preventing social isolation for congregate meal sites clients

Using virtual programming to promote socialization - program examples will be given

Ways to overcome barriers (i.e. staffing, lack of technology, budget/funding)

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The Effects of COVID-19 on 

Silver Linings at Old Bridge

Who are we? Activity center for adults over the age of 60 in Old Bridge, NJ 

Building has been closed since March 13th, 2020

While center doors were closed, delivery of services remained, albeit in a limited capacity

Social services continued via phone

Transportation services remained in place for dialysis patients and critical medical appointments

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The Effects of COVID-19 on 

Silver Linings at Old Bridge (continued)

Assistance was provided to Meals on Wheels program for the delivery of meals to congregate meal clients who became homebound due to COVID-19

Initial hope of reopening on March 30th 

However, NJ went into a lockdown and we have remained closed ever since

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A Virtual Community Is Born

Once it became apparent that we would not be able to reopen on March 30th, we shifted our focus to virtual programming

What would be the best platform to deliver virtual programming to our members

For Silver Linings, Facebook proved to be the right social media platform

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A Virtual Community Is Born (continued)

After receiving permission to start a Facebook group from Township administration, over the course of a weekend, we put together “Silver Linings Virtual Community”. So began our “Senior Center Without Walls”

And just like that, we were able to once again connect with our members

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Content for Silver Linings 

Virtual Community

Our Virtual Community includes the following types of content:

Exercise videos (pre-recorded and/or via Facebook Live & Zoom)

Sketch classes (pre-recorded sketching assignment and live comments and feedback from instructor)

Paint classes (via Zoom with all supplies provided and delivered to their homes)

Mindful Mondays - Mental Health posts and live presentations via Zoom

Trivia Tuesdays

Weekly Photo Challenge

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Content for Silver Linings 

Virtual Community (continued)

Zoom Bingo

“Summer School” Sessions - History “lessons” throughout the summer

Arts & Crafts projects - plastic canvas, knitting, and crocheting. Members sign up for the projects and supplies/kits are then delivered to their homes.

Themed Months/Weeks

Technology Thursdays

And more!

All our Zoom presentations and programs are available via phone for our members without access to technology

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Resources Used for Virtual Community

There are a variety of resources we have used to keep our Virtual Community going

3-4 posts per day keep the page active and members engaged

snappa.com is used for graphics designed for program announcements and calendar. We also used this website to design our group page photo

We are using Zoom for our virtual classes but you can also use Microsoft Teams

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Resources Used for Virtual Community (continued)

Websites used for content:

ACL.gov

NCOA.org

SeniorPlanet.org

AARP.org

idontmind.com

history.com

YouTube.com

MyFreeBingoCards.com 

Credit is given to sites when using articles/content

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Highlights

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Highlights (continued)

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Programming Ideas

Lunch & Learn: Host a “learning” luncheon via Zoom - the presentation can be on any topic: nutrition, scam preventions, health and wellness. You can also just host a lunch party where members can just catch up with each other. This program is good for members with or without technology

Grab & Go events: If you are doing grab & go meals, maybe do a raffle with a giveaway. You can also have a DJ come out and play music on special days (i.e. St. Patrick’s Day)

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Programming Ideas (continued) 

Establish a pen pal program (either via email or snail mail) amongst congregate meal clients

Partner with an organization in the community (i.e. schools/businesses) and have them donate items and money to make “Care Boxes”, filled with toiletries and various activities, such as puzzles, adult coloring books, Sudoku books, etc. to remind seniors that someone cares and they have not been forgotten

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Overcoming Barriers

Staffing

Partner with your site or senior center in delivering programming to homebound seniors

Seek out volunteers to do wellness calls or to assist in grab and go events

Lack of technology

Zoom does not cost any money for a participant to use. Participants can join via their computers, smart phones, and tablets 

Those without technology can join via phone (toll free)

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Overcoming Barriers (continued)

Budget/funds:

Seek out grant opportunities

Seek out partnerships in the community (partnering with businesses, restaurants, etc.)

Seek out donations from the community at large

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“Social distancing refers to creating a physical space between one another and avoiding large gatherings.  It does not mean to socially disconnect from one another.  Instead we encourage you to strengthen your social ties while maintaining physical distancing.”

Daniel Aldrich, Professor at Northeastern University

March 2020 Washington Post article

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More Information

Anahita Feltz, Manager

Silver Linings at Old Bridge

1 Old Bridge Plaza, Old Bridge, NJ 08857

732-721-5600, ext. 6625

afeltz@oldbridge.com

www.oldbridge.com/SilverLinings

www.facebook.com/groups/SilverLiningsatOldBridge

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Jasmine Aplin, JD

Office of American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian Programs

ACL  

jasmine.aplin@acl.hhs.gov

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Social Isolation in Tribal Communities   

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What We’ll Talk About-Part 2

The unique challenges faced by Tribal communities 

The importance of community 

Innovative ways tribes are combating social isolation 

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Unique Challenges Facing Tribes

The rural nature of tribes: Many tribes are located in very rural or frontier areas. This can make it very difficult for tribal members to access a wide array of services 

Grandparents raising grandchildren: Some tribal elders have additional responsibilities to their families. Some tribal members live in a multi-generational household and some grandparents are raising their grandchildren. This can create stress for the elder 

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Unique Challenges Facing Tribes (continued)

Cultural Competency: Reaching elders without an understanding of their culture can be difficult. Someone reaching out may not speak my language, look like me, or understand what I have lost because of the pandemic 

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Importance of Community 

Our directors carry many burdens...the burden of their health, their families health, the health of the elders, and the health of their community

We have found that it is EXTREMELY important for those carrying many burdens to know they are not alone 

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The Importance of Community (continued) 

Our office has a weekly “chat” every Thursday from 3-4 where our directors are invited to tell us how things are going in their community 

We have also asked Dr. Alec Thundercloud, Director of SAMHSA’s Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy, to discuss mental health services that are available 

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Combatting Social Isolation 

Many Title VI programs have created remarkable ways to combat isolation. Some ideas we have seen are...

Red and green cards elders can post in their window to indicate whether they need to be checked on 

Car bingo. Some programs gather seniors in the parking lot and call out numbers so seniors can participate in a bingo game from their car 

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Combatting Social Isolation (continued) 

We have found that adding cultural to any activity can enhance the activity! 

Having a cooking activity that shares recipes for traditional foods

Activities surrounding native language

We have suggested a phone game where elders are asked questions that are pulled out of a hat. The questions are specific to each community and allow the questions to be fun and unique 

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Questions

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Trifecta:  SocializationThank you for attending!

Celebrate Our Senior Nutrition Program

March 2021

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