engAGED Webinar – Capacity Building for Remote Programming During COVID-19

This engAGED webinar held on April 27, 2020, highlights strategies and opportunities for developing virtual programs to promote engagement. Alex Galzebrook, the Director of Operations for Older Adults Technology Services, presents ways that organizations can move their programs to a remote format. Access the recording and the slides here. Below, find responses to questions submitted from attendees.

Questions about Senior Planet and Programming

Link to the Senior Planet/Older Adults Technology Services website:

Are the presentations archived on the Senior Planet website?

We prioritize some (not all) of the virtual programs for archival. When they are available, they’re accessible on the Senior Planet YouTube channel

If I call the Senior Planet hotline, can they help me figure out how to better share our music for line dance classes, etc.

We will try our best! The hotline is typically intended to serve older adults and their individual tech questions, but we may be able to assist organizations!

Older Americans Act (OAA) programs require compliance with HIPPA. How do you ensure that participant information complies with HIPPA on web-based programs? How do you ensure that engagement is 60 and older (due to funding requirements)?

We aren’t enforcing age requirements on our programs at this time. For now, we want our programs to be as accessible as possible, even if that means people sneak in under the age threshold.

Do you require additional registration forms to complete NAPIS information that is required for reporting purposes?

We could if a partner required it, but OATS/Senior Planet does not currently have those requirements in place for programs.

How would one partner with your office in a state? Who should contact you? Is it state authority or any local AAA that can do this independently?

Either, we partner with local AAAs or with the state at large.

If an organization was interested in bringing OATS to their area how would they begin that process?

Get in touch! partnerships@oats.org or agalzebrook@oats.org.

Where is the Maryland center?

Maryland is a cluster of senior centers, libraries and other community-based partners scattered throughout Montgomery County, MD. We do not currently have a flagship Senior Planet Center in Maryland. For more info, check: https://seniorplanet.org/locations/montgomery-county/

Where in Pennsylvania is your center?

It will open later this Fall in Newtown Square, embedded within White Horse Village.

Do you offer evidence-based programming such as Chronic Disease Self-Management?

Not at this time.

Will it be possible to edit some of your videos to use in a different setting?

Possibly, but we’d need to discuss the particulars. Please reach out to agalzebrook@oats.org.

Are your health and wellness programs evidence based? Are you tracking and reporting participation for any grant funded programs such as through the Older Americans Act Title IIID?

Not at this time.

Questions about Technology Access

How do you provide computers or iPads for low-income adults?

We direct them to our partners - cristina.org, pcsforpeople, etc.

How do you reach people who do not have technology at home?

At this time, through the Senior Planet phone hotlines.

What has been your experience in supplying technology devices to seniors? Or, are you just serving people that have their own devices?

We don’t currently have any device distribution programs in place.

Is it difficult for people to participate using a smartphone instead of a computer?

No, very easy via the Zoom app!

My biggest challenge is how to do virtual/ distance learning with seniors who have smartphones, but no knowledge how to do it.

Have them call the national hotline and we’ll get them set up!

Have you been able to figure out ways to bring individuals who don't have internet into your programming in some way?

Zoom meetings can be joined via phone only if connectivity/video is available. At this time, the Senior Planet phone hotline is the only alternative.

Questions about Zoom

Can Zoom send invite/instructions in other languages?

Not that I’m aware of - but Senior Planet has English and Spanish. We are working on Chinese, Russian, and Bengali.

If you record the event, will it give you a written transcript of your talk

Afterwards, yes, or go to webcaptioner.com for real-time captioning.

Is it possible for Zoom to provide Captions for Deaf or Hearing-Impaired participants?

Try webcaptioner.com.
You can assign a co-host to transcribe in real time, captions show up in a pop-out window.
You can pay for hourly transcription services - costs vary.

Do the Zoom instructions include information on how to do the break-out rooms and polls?

Not currently. For now, they’re intended to simply enable participants to get on Zoom. We’ll be adding advanced feature tutorials soon.

Questions about One Click

What was the name of the other online platform you use besides Zoom?

Oneclick.chat

Does oneclick.chat have the ability to do video chat on the phone?

No, there’s no call-in feature.

Is the oneclick.chat platform free for small group sessions?

No, there’s a cost associated with all plans.

What is the length of time for a one click meeting?

They can be unlimited; we typically stick to 75 minutes maximum.

Can you talk about how you would use oneclick tool you mentioned as a possible alternative to Zoom?

For small group sessions with participants that have extremely limited tech experience.

Software Recommendations

I've been participating in small Zoom conference calls (8-12 people) on my iPhone. I might start leading CDSMP workshops via Zoom and can't do that on my older Mac. What device would you recommend?

I’d recommend a Chromebook as a nice, and cost-affordable alternative.