THE IPAD PROJECT: STAYING CONNECTED IN A PANDEMIC

In partnership with the Assistance League of Laguna Beach, Lifelong Laguna has loaned 14 iPads to low-income seniors to help them stay connected to the community.

Isolation has always been the enemy of graceful aging. But what can you do in a pandemic that requires isolation — and when age alone puts you at greater risk? Laguna Beach Seniors has been responding to this challenge with "The Susi Q Without Walls" (check out our Zoom Catalog) and through Lifelong Laguna, our "aging in place" program of practical support services.
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Long before the pandemic, seniors of all ages were learning how "smart" technology could create vital links to their friends, families, and the world at large. (One of the "happening" places at the Susi Q was our one-on-one computer lab—and it still is thanks to Zoom.)

For low-income seniors, however, the cost of technology has always been a major barrier to its benefits. To address this issue, we turned to our friends and partners at the Assistance League of Laguna Beach. They agreed to fund a pilot project to loan iPads to low-income seniors in Laguna to help them stay connected at a time when they must also stay isolated to stay well.

John Fay conducts the first in-person tutorial to a group of residents at Vista Aliso to show
them how their iPads work and how to connect to our Zoom classes, use FaceTime, email, etc.