2022-2023 Impact Grant Recipient: Connections at Home
The Organization:
Connections at Home’s (CAH) mission is to reduce social isolation and loneliness for homebound older adults, using technology and social work services to address the non-medical needs of socially isolated seniors. CAH’s vision is to improve the social, emotional, and physical quality of life for elders who are aging in place.
The Challenge:
Approximately 2,700 seniors live in poverty in Essex County. This senior community is particularly vulnerable to social isolation as they are often not able to afford a computer or tablet, or transportation which would allow them to interact with their community. Studies show that about 25% of people over 65 are socially isolated and around 45% of those over 60 years of age say they are lonely. People experiencing social isolation are much more likely to develop anxiety and depression, and have a 50% increased risk of dementia, as well as being 30% more likely to die early or develop cardiovascular disease. This costs Medicare $6.7 billion per year. CAH aims to address this overwhelming issue by connecting homebound seniors to their community by providing computers and tablets and assigning a social worker to each senior.
The Project: Bridging the Digital Divide for Socially Isolated Seniors
Connections at Home provides a unique and groundbreaking service: a free, senior- friendly tablet or computer to homebound, socially isolated, low income seniors who otherwise do not have access to technology. The 85 clients in East Orange will each be paired with a social worker who will be in touch every two weeks or more often (including in-person visits for training), to provide technological assistance and encourage the use of the computer or tablet so recipients remain connected to loved ones and can access online classes, shopping, medical care, food, and entertainment. Our staff will also help these clients to access social service needs such as transportation, housing, food, health care, home health aides, and medical equipment.
The Grant:
The grant will be used to expand Connections at Home’s presence in East Orange, where 19% of seniors are below the poverty line and 85% of the city is Black. Connections at Home will provide 85 low income, Black, over 65, homebound people, living alone in East Orange, a free, senior-friendly computer or tablet over the course of the two years of the grant. In addition to the cost of the device, the grant dollars will pay for customized, senior-friendly software, and will provide in-person training for the users, and repair and replacement costs should the device break. Finally, it will provide for a free helpline so that the users have access to ongoing remote technical support.
The Impact:
This is an innovative approach to an intractable problem, using senior-friendly computers and tablets, paired with social work assistance and encouragement, to help older adults remain connected and thereby extend their lifespan and quality of life. Data has shown that technology can go a long way towards helping older adults stave off loneliness and decline. The program has already demonstrated success in reducing social isolation and depression. After one year in the program, 74% of participants showed a decrease in social isolation based on the Lubben Social Isolation Scale, and 73% showed improvement in their mental health, according to the PHQ9 screening tool.
