When Neil DeSouza, co-founder of GetSetUp, told me recently that he wanted me to help launch a campaign to help older adults to make their COVID-19 vaccine appointments, I was very skeptical. Each state has its own ways of distributing the limited vaccine supply, and in many states like Michigan (where we have many clients), each county has a different way to schedule appointments. This seemed like an impossible task.
But since many older adults now rely on us to continue to learn and to socialize with peers, Neil felt that it was imperative for us to use our platform to help them with the most pressing problem of all – how to get vaccinated so we can start to return to normal life. So we’ve created a dedicated vaccine information page as well as weekly information sessions for each state. While we aren’t health experts, we can provide guidance in how to navigate the labyrinth of state websites and feature conversations with those of us who have successfully scheduled appointments.
So why would we repivot our entire organization to help with vaccine scheduling when we already have done so well with our model of daily classes and social activities for older adults? Because this is what our clients need at this time, and we can help. Visit our vaccine information page and maybe you’ll see me – I’ll be attending many of the sessions.