Community Living Campaign

Cultivating connections to help seniors and people with disabilities age and thrive at home.

Cultivating connections to help seniors and people with disabilities age and thrive at home.

innovation

Loneliness Really Is a Public Health Issue

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Google Community Space and the Global Shapers hosted a thoughtful discussion on loneliness and increasing awareness of how bad it is for your health.   The panelist included:

Kasley Killam, event organizer (and CLC Board member) facilitated a  solution-focused discussion about loneliness among seniors, raising awareness about this issue and  highlighting  efforts of each organization to address it.  The session closed with suggestions for how the more than 70 people who attended might take steps to contribute. The panel discussion is featured on the CLC Facebook page.  You can learn more about the issue in Kasley’s article in Scientific American.  

Loneliness: A Public Health Crisis Livestream

Posted by Global Shapers – San Francisco Hub on Wednesday, March 21, 2018

 


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SF Digital Inclusion Week a Huge Success

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Congratulations to the San Francisco Public Library for bringing this year’s Digital Inclusion Week to the City’s Libraries. From the opening panel of Internet Service Providers to the Resource Fair and scores of workshops and demos at the Main Library and branches all around the City, the event had something for everyone.  Thanks to Supervisors Farrell and Mar for helping kick off the day, and to Digital Inclusion Fellow Wenwen Shi and Library Director Luis Herrera for their leadership in organizing and supporting the myriad of activities.   The program for the week is a reminder of all the ways that the Library system, in working with community partners, is building a bridge for inclusion. 

The Library’s press release gives more background on highlights of the week – and now we keep building digital inclusion until Digital Inclusion Week 2018!

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SF Tech Council Celebrates with Milestone Event

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On July 20, 2016, the San Francisco Tech Council’s Milestone Event at the SF Public Library celebrated the Council’s progress, accomplishments and plans for the future as it works to bridge the digital divide that that still exists in San Francisco for too many seniors and adults with disabilities.

The SF Tech Council began with a 2014 stakeholder survey. Across all participants, one of the strongest survey findings was that closing San Francisco’s digital divide requires collaborating across many sectors. In 2015, to increase these opportunities for cooperation and collaboration, leaders from the technology and business communities, city agencies, community-based organizations, philanthropy, academia, and healthcare came together to form the SF Tech Council. This multi-stakeholder group that has been meeting regularly at the Netherlands Consulate General ever since to share ideas, network, and support projects that address the digital divide.

In the Council’s first year, it secured funding for catalyst grants to five nonprofit organizations expanding digital initiatives. Active Workgroups have taken on projects and explorations of ways to best use the Council’s collaborative approach to planning and problem-solving. Looking toward the future, leaders of the SF Tech Council shared this inspiring information and more with those who attended. We invite you to see pictures of the event below and view a powerpoint that highlights the history and accomplishments so far.

 

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Strong Dignity Fund Legislation Introduced

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Dignity Fund Campaign Logo smPlease join us in thanking Supervisors Malia Cohen and Eric Mar for their leadership in shepherding strong Dignity Fund legislation to introduction May 24 at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. They were joined at a press conference earlier in the day by Supervisor Campos and leaders of the Dignity Fund Coalition. Supervisors Yee and Avalos have also pledged their support as we move the legislation forward for a hearing at the Rules Committee later in June. The Dignity Fund will be a measure on the November 8th San Francisco ballot and will assure improved long term funding for senior and disability services and supports in San Francisco.

Funding levels for many services for seniors and adults with disabilities have not kept pace with population growth. Right now, people 60 and over represent 20% of San Francisco’s population. Taken together with the number of adults with disabilties, that number is 25% and expected to grow to 30% by 2030. Many seniors and adults with disabilities are living on fixed incomes as the cost of living here continues to rise.

How can you help? Log onto the website www.sfdignityfund.org to learn more and to sign-up for regular email updates (and even make a donation to help with the campaign!) Over the com
ing month, we will be seeking additional organizational endorsements and expanding our outreach efforts. We need your help there as well.IMG_6431

The Dignity Fund Coalition is a broad coalition of San Francisco not-for-profit and community organizations and advocates that has come together to address the growing need for services for seniors, adults with disabilities, veterans, and those living with chronic illnesses, to ensure that San Francisco becomes a more aging and disability friendly place. It promotes independence through services and support that allow people to live at home while remaining connected to their communities.

Watch out for our June CLC Newsletter arriving early next week with more details about the legislation and the campaign ahead.

“Party with a Purpose” Celebrates Work of the Aging and Disability Friendly Workgroup

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The October 23rd “Party with a Purpose” drew nearly 300 participants for an active and engaging afternoon to celebrate the 10 year Anniversary of the Long Term Care Coordinating Council and showcase the work of their Aging and Disability Friendly Workgroup.  This Workgroup launched a process two years ago when the Mayor signed a letter requesting membership in the World Health Organization’s Aging Friendly Cities movement.  San Francisco is the first large city in California to request this status and the first to stress both Aging AND Disability Friendly.

The afternoon event started with an inspiring performance of the Dance Generators, an intergenerational dance group with University of San Francisco.  This was followed by a short slide show about the focus on Aging and Disability domains that are part of this process – Outdoor Spaces and Buildings, Transportation, Housing, Social Participation, Respect and Social Inclusion, Civic Participation and Employment, Community and Health Services, Communication and Information and a new domain, Technology.     The focus is on an asset-based approach to the planning that uses strengths to overcome barriers.

Keynote speaker was John Feather, PhD and CEO of Grantmakers in Aging helped us understand how to identify and reframe issues in aging.  Then participants had a chance to contribute their thoughts and opinions to the planning.  A summary of the discussion will seen be posted on the www.friendlysf.org website.

Long Term Care Coordinating Council Co-chairs Tracy Dobronravova and Cindy Kaufman who highlighted the many successes of the Council over the past 10 years.  They also presented the first Aging Friendly Award to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority, while acknowledging the hard work of the advocates as well that led to the creation of the Free MUNI.

Mary Twomey added a lively touch as the MC, with a special rap and bit of fun with the audience.  The day conclude with a reception, bringing the Party with a Purpose to a close.

 


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Low-Cost, High-Speed Internet Now Available to San Francisco Seniors

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Comcast just announced a new pilot project in San Francisco to expand its Internet Essentials Program to include low-cost, high-speed internet access for low income seniors.  See pictures from the Press Conference at Lady Shaw Senior Housing below and learn more about this new opportunity for San Francisco to help bridge the digital divide in the Comcast press release.    DSC_0902

Community Living Campaign is pleased to work with its SF Connected partners – Self-Help for the Elderly, Community Technology Network and the Department of Aging and Adult Services – to make this Pilot Program an example for the country of what we can do to get and keep everyone connected. Stay tuned for more details soon!

 

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‘Keep Us Connected’ Campaign Delivers 2000+ Postcards

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DSC_0428Last week, we delivered over 2,000 postcards from people all over the City with our message to City Hall: It’s time to close the digital divide for seniors and adults with disabilities. Staying connected and engaged is key to reducing isolation, promoting brain fitness and lifelong learning, keeping us connected to our health providers and to long term services and supports  that help us age in place.

Call or email your Supervisor TODAY (contact info here) and tell your Supervisor and the Mayor why they need to pass a budget that includes more training and support through the Department of Aging and Adult Services’ SF Connected Program. 

San Francisco Needs to Invest in People, Not Just Computer Systems and Software

Earlier this year, the Mayor developed and the Supervisors approved a budget for $155 million to upgrade computer systems and software to help the City better serve and communicate with the public. But these upgrades won’t help those in the public who don’t have the computer skills or access to find this information. Without more investment in computer training for seniors and adults with disabilities, the digital divide will keep growing.

Expanding SF Connected Increases Computer Access AND Creates Job Opportunities for San Franciscans

SF Connected, the Public Libraries, and other technology centers provide access, but what is missing is a bolder program for training and deploying trainers, tutors, and volunteer coordinators to expand the use of these neighborhood-based resources.  And increased funding for training has another benefit: new, part-time employment opportunities for more tech-savy seniors and people with disabilities who have been left out of sectors where jobs are increasing, like tech and construction.

Your San Francisco Neighbors Are Being Left Behind

Consider this…The City is poised to invest $223,398,000 to upgrade its Electronic Medical Records (EMR) for its hospital and clinics over the next 5 years. Part of the Affordable Care Act requirements are that patients be given the tools and support to help them access their records.  But a recent UCSF survey in SF health clinic waiting rooms found that a staggering 40% of patients don’t use email even though 71% would like to use it to communicate with their health care providers. Even among those who do use email, only 59% are able to do so from home.

Ask the Mayor and Supervisors to Invest More in Closing the Digital Divide

San Francisco is held up as a model for technological innovation and cutting edge programs, yet the most recent citizen’s survey showed a huge gap between the have’s and the have-not’s – as some communities 30% to 40% lack Internet access. Those who lack access tend to have lower income, are typically older, less educated and people of color.

We are hoping increased funding to bridge the digital divide will show the City is taking one more small step  better share the prosperity.    Please call the Mayor and the Supervisors Today!

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Remembering Vera Haile, a Force for Compassion, Inclusion, and Justice

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Vera Haile was a force for compassion, inclusion and justice that shaped organizations in San Francisco for over 55 years.  She was an inspiration, role model, friend and colleague to a most diverse following.

Many of her friends and admirers will come together to celebrate Vera and her work on Thursday, July 31 from 5:30 to 7:30 at St. Mary’s Cathedral Conference Center, 1111 Gough Lower Level.  Now that this noble leader is gone, we are called to come together and continue her work.

I met Vera Haile when she was the Director of North of Market Senior Services (now Curry Senior Services) and I had started organizing Planning for Elders in the Central City (now Senior and Disability Action).  At Planning for Elders, she became a board member and led the IHSS Task Force for more than two decades.  While those organizations have changed and evolved over time, she imbued them with a set of values that continue to guide their work to this day. Her perseverance, her willingness to speak truth to power, her compassion for the most isolated and alone among us are legend.

In 2009, Gay Kaplan interviewed Vera about her life as a part of StoryCorps and we hear stories of her early days that help us understand her courage and her willingness to keep asking “why” things can’t change. It begins with Vera, the 9th grader in Appalachia who was inspired by discussions in her civic class to write a letter to the editor of the local paper.  In the letter, she explained why she thought  integration was the right thing for the country – and that letter generated threatening calls from the Klu Klux Klan to her and her family.  When she and her family did not back down and nothing bad happened, she knew she had done the right thing.

Her college studies in philosophy helped her think about ideas – the importance of taking a moral stand, of being guided by a sense of fairness, and of taking the long view in the fight for human rights and justice. She was a part of the civil rights movement, working to integrate lunch counters, bowling alleys, and other public places. She continued her education at places like the Highlander Center, a Tennessee training center that educated union organizers and nurtured civil rights activitists like Rosa Parks. Her journey included work with the American Friends Services Committee, serving both youth, and elders with mental illness and dementia.

She traveled to countries including India before coming back to settle in San Francisco. She worked for the Department of Social Services as a Social Worker.  Not surprisingly, her social work degree from U.C.  Berkeley included an emphasis on community organizing.  She left her job with the City to became “second in command” at Self-Help for the Elderly and then moved on to be the Executive  Director of North of Market Senior Services.  In “retirement”, she did even more as the President of the Aging and Adult Services Commission, a long time and active member of the Aging and Adult Services Advisory Council, the Mayor’s Long Term Care Coordinating Council, a dedicated and respected member of the Immigrants’ Rights Commission and a host of other community and civic activities.

We were fortunate that Vera agreed to help us start the Community Living Campaign – one more step in broadening the base for social change around senior, disability and caregiver issues in San Francisco.  She reminded us of what was important at every annual board retreat and was chair of the Program Committee and an active board member right up to the end.

Of all the things that Vera did, I think I was most grateful for her willingness to tell her story – about the challenges she and other older adults face trying to make ends meet in this increasingly expensive city.  Just like Vera the young girl who wrote to the editor way back when, she knew the importance of using the press to raise awareness and to provide a “call to action”, no matter what the personal cost. You can read her article, that appeared in the San Francisco Chroncle, and learn more about Vera at a wonderful website that is being created by her daughters. Go to www.verahaile.com.

Please add your own comments reflections about Vera on this blog or on that website so that they can be shared with others.  The CLC Board of Directors is continuing to reflect on how to best continue Vera’s work going forward and will be sharing a decision soon.

We hope to see many of you next Thursday evening as we remember and celebrate Vera Haile.

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Leaders From the Netherlands Help Launch Senior Vitality Project in the Tenderloin

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Officials from the Netherlands Come to SF to Kick Off Project Senior Vitality Based on a Successful Dutch Model  

Program Connects Seniors to Social Workers and Family via Internet

The Mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan, and Aging and Adult Services Director Anne Hinton  joined Curry Senior Center Executive Director Dave Knego and CLC Director Marie Jobling to kick off Project Senior Vitality on April 8th at Curry Center. The program will be a joint effort between the two cities to assist hundreds of San Francisco Tenderloin’s 14,000 seniors who live alone and are susceptible to states of loneliness, depression, acute and chronic illness and lower vitality.

The program builds on a successful Dutch model, where socially-isolated seniors living in the Netherlands were provided a tablet and a one-on-one coach, who gave 2 hours of weekly tablet training over a period of three months.  After the three months, the seniors were able to easily access the internet, connect with family and friends, create their support network and eventually access specific resources that helped to improve their overall health and nutritional habits. Results for the Dutch program found that 51% of the seniors experienced less loneliness, and 63% felt safer and more secure in their environment.

Project Senior Vitality is designed to start with Curry Senior Center residents and grow to the surrounding Tenderloin community.  Over three years, Project Senior Vitality will put 250 seniors on an upward quality-of-life spiral focused on peer and community support, less loneliness, better wellness, and self-management of chronic conditions.

“Curry Senior Center has an in-house computer center filled with seniors learning and exploring technology every day.  The Dutch Model takes the desires of seniors toward positive steps in managing their health and wellness, and extends digital access to their own homes.  I see Project Senior Vitality as a win-win for the city of San Francisco and its resident seniors,” said Knego.  “The expected outcomes include: less loneliness, more community connectivity, better resident health at a lower cost and a reduction in the use of emergency health care services. We fully anticipate this scalable effort to grow far beyond our own community.”

Mayor van der Laan, a long-time supporter of the needs of the elderly, handed out the first tablets and sensors to begin the process of improvements in low-income senior health and well being to two formerly homeless seniors living in Curry Senior Center Housing, Linda Rosependowski and Judith Vincent.  Both women were the first two who leaped at the opportunity because they hope to reconnect with family as well as be empowered to be more active in the process of managing their own healthcare.  Many other seniors have already signed up on the waiting list even though the program is just getting started.

The pilot is facilitated by Healthcare Innovation Transfer, a Dutch public-private program hosted by the Dutch Consulate General in San Francisco, with additional tangible support offered by two tech companies: San Francisco’s Salesforce.com and Withings in France.   The collaborative has submitted a grant to Google Impact grant to be able to move forward quickly to launch this badly needed project.

The tour and more formal meeting ended with a  lively ‘happening” in the Curry Computer center where an enthusiastic gathering  viewed some of the highlights of the project and welcomed the Mayor and his entourage with thanks and homemade scarfs in Danish sports colors.

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Living Solo in Later Life

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BACA form - CLC 001“What does it take for elders older than 80 to remain at home, alone?” is the question discussed in a thoughtful article by Robert L. Rubinstein and CLC Board member Elena Portacolone.   The article appears in the January-February edition of Aging Today. While the options may be fairly good for those with substantial resources and know-how, for most everyone else, especially those with cognitive impairment, the challenges can be daunting.

The authors cite that nearly 40% of all Americans over 80 are living alone; we know the proportion here in San Francisco is even higher.   And trends show the number of older adults with cognitive impairment is expected to nearly double in San Francisco between 2000 and 2030.

While there are significant challenges, there are also promising solutions. In the article, Portacolone and Rubinstein hold out the pioneering work of Dr. Franco Basaglia as an example of  one of the creative models for meeting the needs of older Americans living alone.   Many of us were inspired when we heard about Dr. Basaglia’s work in a presentation by his colleague, Roberto Mezzina at last year’s On Lok Long Term Care Conference.   A priority in Dr. Basaglia’s initiative is the integration of individuals with their social network – what he calls “their right to citizenship.”   The Aging Today article concludes that a positive attitude, good friends and meaningful activities are key components for being able to live alone at home in older age.  But also critical is a solid network of support, supplemented by solid assets or steady access to essential public resources such as home care aids, subsidized rent and transportation and support from savvy social workers.

You can read the article in Aging Today, the bi-monthly newspaper of the American Society of Aging.   And  you will find other interesting articles on this theme by Elena Portacolone, Ph.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., who is currently an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco and an associate specialist at the Mack Center on Mental Health and Social Conflict at the University of California, Berkeley.