engAGED Holds Social Isolation Virtual Summit

The last seven months have shown that we are stronger when we work together and learn from one another. As the Aging Network continues to navigate the challenges and opportunities the COVID-19 pandemic created for social engagement programs, engAGED: The National Resource Center for Engaging Older Adults recognized a space was needed for the Aging Network to come together to share insights, experiences and resources. That’s why we held the engAGED Social Isolation Virtual Summit on September 24, 2020—to bring together more than 2,000 Aging Network leaders for an afternoon of learning, connection and information sharing.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (which administers the engAGED National Resource Center) and the Administration for Community Living (which funds the engAGED National Resource Center) kicked off the Summit, applauding the Aging Network for its quick and creative response to the pandemic to ensure older adults remain engaged at home. A nationally recognized expert in social connection and isolation research then joined us to share the latest findings on social isolation and loneliness, further making the case for the need for social engagement programming.

The Summit also included two dynamic panels comprised of national and local experts. The first panel covered how the Aging Network has adapted social engagement programming in response to COVID-19 and lessons learned during the pandemic, while the second panel took a deeper dive into how technology is helping foster engagement during COVID-19, providing concreate examples of how the Aging Network can tap into technology to support social engagement needs of older adults.

A number of new resources focused on adapting Aging Network social engagement programs during COVID-19 were also introduced, including engAGING Practices: Best Practices for Helping Older Adults Stay Socially Engaged and a social engagement video.

If you missed the live event or want to re-watch any sections, you can watch the Summit recording and view the PowerPoint here. 

As the engAGED National Resource Center continues to support the social engagement work of the Aging Network by identifying and disseminating best practices, resources and trends, we want to hear from you! We will soon be launching a poll focused on the social engagement priorities of Aging Network organizations to ensure our work aligns with your social engagement needs. Please share what you are currently doing in this space and what training and technical assistance would be most helpful to your organization once this brief poll launches this fall. Questions? Contact us at info@engagingolderadults.org!