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Program Connecting Older Adults with Technology in
Lewis County Seeks Volunteer Digital Coaches and Participants
Published: March 17, 2023 at
02:30 p.m.
By: Media Release from COAT Program
 Bridging the digital divide
improves older adults’ health and well-being!
The Connecting
Older Adults with Technology (COAT) Program actively
seeks volunteers (Digital Coaches) and older adult participants
(Digital Learners, must be 60+) in Cortland & Lewis
Counties. COAT provides eligible Digital Learner
participants with a free smart device (like a Lenovo Tablet)
and a Digital Coach for six individual training
sessions scheduled at the convenience of the learner and coach.
During the
training sessions, Digital Coaches will work with Digital Leaners
to set up and familiarize them with the device, create an email
account, review online safety tips to avoid scams, connect with family and
friends online, find reliable health information, access telehealth
services, and more. Coaching sessions will take place in May and June
2023. Older adults interested in participating as a Digital Learner
must apply as space is limited.
Volunteer training
for Digital Coaches will begin March 27th in Lewis County
and April 6th in Cortland County. The first session
is in person and the remaining sessions will combine volunteers from both
counties for virtual training to prepare for the program kick-off event in
each county. Volunteers of all ages needed.
Kick-off
events in each county are scheduled in early May. At
these events, Digital Learners will receive their Lenovo Smart Tab M10
FHD Plus, meet their personal Digital Coach,
complete paperwork, and schedule their first session.
Connecting Older
Adults with Technology (COAT) is a health equity project of the Finger
Lakes Geriatric Education Center (FLGEC) at the Ithaca College Gerontology
Institute that addresses health literacy and social connection among older
adults in rural Upstate New York. The FLGEC is working with
community-based organizations to promote the program, help recruit
volunteers and partners, utilize space for training sessions, access
transportation, and distribute and accept applications for
the program. Collaborating organizations include Lewis County
Office for the Aging, North County Library System (Lewis), Access to
Independence (Cortland), Seven Valley Health Coalition (Cortland) and The
YMCA (Cortland). Information on the program will be available at these
locations. Please contact Karen Brown if you or your
organization would like to help promote this program.
For more
information: https://www.ithaca.edu/gerontology-institute/programs-events
Here is a short
video with more information on COAT Digital Coaches. https://youtu.be/YIEoHSawKA8
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