By Nea Maaty
(Nea is a journalist with the Focus Media Arts Centre)

Using new technologies to meet the needs of Seniors

On top of the struggles that a senior would normally go through due to old age, low income, health issues, and loneliness, COVID-19 has added more challenges to the needs that St. James Town seniors are already struggling with.  Isolation for long periods was already an associated issue with the elderly even before covid and as a result, 2020/2021 was a difficult year for seniors.

Luckily there were programs around the neighborhood that made sure during the crisis to take care of the seniors and keep them connected. 

Club House is  a community program for seniors led by Progress Place. This program helps seniors to stay connected, engage in activities and to learn new skills. 

Norma Khandaker, Coordinator at St. James Town Senior Mental Health Day Program, tells us about the role that Progress Place has played in keeping seniors connected in the neighborhood by providing seniors with iPads and introducing them to virtual technologies.  Many of these seniors are interacting on line for the first time and as a result have learned new skills and developed new interests.  For some, the whole world has opened up for them.  

These days, as life is gradually coming back to normal, through the use of on-line platforms like Zoom, St. James Town seniors have found new opportunities for connecting with others.

Service providers who work with seniors are exploring how agencies in the neighbourhood could make use of these technologies to better serve seniors. Hopefully virtual technologies will complement traditional programs for seniors.