Nurturing Our Retired Citizens		Replication Guide

Computer Project

Mission

To provide computers to senior residences for use in a common area and to connect residents to students for tutoring in computer skills.

Program Description

NORC facilitated the contribution of donated used computers. We delivered them to the facilities and found student tutors to work with the residents.

Community Goals Met

• Encourage and support intergenerational interaction
• Initiate an outreach program to connect seniors and their families to the available services in the community
• Empower older adults to participate in the community

Project Leadership

The NORC Community Liaison contacted the facilities and delivered computers to them. Schools were contacted to recruit students who needed volunteer hours to teach computer skills.

Impact

Seniors who received tutoring, students who had an opportunity to work with the seniors, and the families of the seniors who could then communicate by email.

Planning Timeline

Ongoing

• When new computers were purchased by Jewish Family and Children’s Service the computers they were replacing became available.
• NORC Coordinator called senior facilities to see if they could use any computers.
• NORC Coordinator delivered computers to interested senior facilities.
• Students were recruted from schools during the early fall for that school year.
• In one senior HUD facility, NORC paid for the Internet connection charge and ongoing monthly bill.

PR Marketing & Dissemination

• Calls were made to identify senior facilities in the community and computers were delivered to those who wanted and had room for them. No marketing was needed.

Process and Outcomes

Since the Jewish Family and Children’s Service housed the NORC project, we have a close working relationship with the agency and its resources. As agency computers are replaced, we had them available to donate to seniors. Our first thought was to donate them to individual seniors living in their homes and have tutors come to them to teach computer skills. However, we learned that the seniors did not want strangers coming into their homes. We decided instead to donate the computers to senior facilities where the computers could be placed in an open, common space for anyone to use. This made it more comfortable for the seniors and for the students to interact in an environment that felt safer.

Six months after donating the computers, we called each facility to determine if the computers were still in use, or if they had computers that they were not using. If so, those were relocated to places that could use them. As additional computers became available, facilities were called to see if they need them.

Twenty-eight computers were donated to nine senior facilities. Internet service was provided to one HUD building. Four students were placed for varying lengths of time to tutor seniors. An ongoing relationship was established with several schools to provide tutors for the seniors. Once these connections were made, the facilities worked directly with the schools to request tutors.

Budget

Summary

The computer project is an ongoing success because it gave seniors access to computers and gave the opportunity to learn new skills in order to increase communication with family and friends. This also reduced isolation and opened the world to seniors through the World Wide Web. Students and residents also benefited from the tutoring project and gained greater understanding of each other’s worlds.

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