Tech guru Sarah Jane Synder is seeing more activity these days at the Senior Computer Tech Center at the Longmont Senior Center, as those 70 or older aim to get information about the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Yes, there has definitely been an uptick,” said 76-year-old Snyder, a retired programmer from IBM and volunteer leader and instructor at the center. She and other volunteers have been helping seniors via Zoom to bridge a wide technology gap by instructing them on how to use laptops, desktops and other high-tech tools.
“There has been a significant jump in requests for devices,” said Snyder, who was able to navigate the winding path of information from local health providers to get registered for a vaccine in February.
“It just seems there has to be an easier way to get an appointment,” Snyder said. “I know it’s frustrating for people, and not just those who are seniors.”
Health officials say seniors still face more obstacles to a COVID-19 vaccine since many do not possess laptops or cell phones or the skills to use them. Those devices are usually the quickest way to find a portal to make an appointment with a provider for an injection.
SCAN Health Plan, a Medicare Advantage plan with 215,000 members, found that about one-third of its members did not have access to technology for a telehealth appointment, according to Kaiser Health News.
Other barriers to SCAN members included the lack of translation services for telehealth visits. Nearly 40% also have vision issues that interfere with their ability to use digital devices, while 28% have clinically significant hearing impairment, stated Kaiser Health News.
Landmark Health — which serves a highly vulnerable group of 42,000 people in 14 states — discovered that fewer than 25% of its patients had appropriate technology for remote health care visits, KHN stated.
To help the most vulnerable seniors, local groups are stretching resources to get information and technology into their hands.
Case managers from Salud Family Health Centers are reaching out to older patients who do not possess any technology to help them get access to vaccine information, said Jennifer Morse, vice president of development. Salud focuses on low-income and medically underserved populations.
“Many people don’t have access to computers or they are not very tech savvy,” Morse said during a video update of the COVID-19 pandemic in Boulder County last week. “If they don’t have access to a computer for an email, we are asking them to please call us for information. But please be patient when you call, we are swamped.”
The Salud Family Health Centers can be reached at 303-697-2583 or 970-484-0999.
Local health officials say seniors also face a shortage of vaccines and confusion over where to go to register for a shot.
“We can do 20,000 doses a week, but we only have about 3,500 vaccine allocations,” Chris Campbell, Boulder County Public Health emergency manager, said last week during a weekly video update on the virus. “It’s been a challenge for us.”
The county has posted a list of providers on its website who are currently vaccinating health care workers and residents 70 and older.
Snyder said many seniors rely on a son or daughter or even a grandchild to help them find a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.
Boulder County recently sent out flyers in both English and Spanish to senior facilities with information on how to register to get an email or text when the next COVID-19 vaccine is available. “If you have a family member who does not receive email, you can sign up on their behalf,” the flyer states.
Seniors can register at boco.org/CovidVaccineNotifySignup. Information is also available at BoulderCountyCOVID.org.
People with no internet access can call 720-776-0822.
Michele Waite, Longmont’s Senior Services Manager, said the Friends of the Longmont Senior Center and Boulder County Aging Services are partnering to secure technological devices for older people wanting access to COVID information.
“We just completed the applications for the first round of interested persons and will be distributing the devices soon,” Waite said via email. “We are also working on affordable Wi-Fi access. We are also partnering with the city digital divide program as appropriate.”
Weekly COVID update emails are sent to those who have signed up and include information about COVID vaccinations, Waite said. The emails are sent monthly in Spanish as well, she said.
“We’ve really tried to increase sign up for emails and if people do not have email and will give us their phone numbers then we call them with updated information,” Waite said. Senior Center staff are available to assist individuals over the phone at 303-651-8411.
Pertinent COVID information also is sent to Longmont Housing Authority property managers to distribute to their residents.
Waite said she belongs to a local networking group of professionals who work with older adults and she sends information via email to that group.
Transportation to vaccine appointments also is an issue, Waite said. To help, both the nonprofit Cultivate and VIA Mobility Services are offering free rides to individuals who need to get to appointments. They have waived the scheduling requirement of making the appointment a week in advance, Waite said.
“With some appointments for vaccines being scheduled out of Boulder County, this can be very daunting for older persons who do not drive,” Waite said.
Snyder said she was able to eventually get her appointment with UCHealth after a couple of dead ends with other health providers. “It’s hard, you need to learn and know how each site works and there are so many variables,” Snyder said.
Seniors, she added, use their devices differently. “Some have cell phones, but some don’t use them to text,” Snyder said. “But I think we are getting there. It just seems this whole process could be easier.”
