(This is the first of a series of posts profiling senior services nonprofits which are helping older persons to live active, engaged lives.)
Multiple nonprofits which serve older persons seek to provide some type of help with technology. In New York, and now increasingly beyond, the gold standard is currently set by Older Adults Technology Services (OATS). Their flagship programs are the Senior Planet Exploration Center, located in Manhattan, and Senior Planet.org which provides a variety of online content directed to active seniors.
As I described in an earlier post, How to Design Technology Training for Seniors, teaching older persons involves a different skill set than when training people of other age groups. In addition to classes at the Senior Planet Exploration Center, OATS has also assisted with developing programs for organizations such as the New York Public Library, Comcast and Capital One.
As OATS founder Tom Kamber explains in a blog post about his recent presentation at the Maryland Gerontological Association’s conference, OATS’ mission extends beyond teaching older adults how to use technology. “To change the way we age, we also need to change the way the world views aging.”
Beyond the goal of making seniors more comfortable with technology, most programs directed to older persons also seek to decrease isolation by increasing seniors’ engagement with each other and with the community. We want to encourage older persons to continue to learn and to grow, no matter what their age. As Tom explained at the conference, there is “never a moment in our lives when we can’t grow.”
While many of us work for very worthwhile causes, getting continuous funding is always a challenge. Tom has been especially skilled in convincing funders on the importance of supporting senior focused initiatives, as evidenced by Senior Planet’s growth beyond New York to Maryland, recently launching in Florida by SoFIA and soon to be rolled out in Colorado.
If you’re not yet familiar with Tom’s organization, take time to explore the OATS and Senior Planet websites, or stop by the NYC flagship location in Chelsea for an example of what’s possible beyond the typical senior center.
