A total of $49,850 was accepted from the San Diego Foundation’s Age Friendly Communities municipal grants by Chula Vista for the implementation of a Senior Connect Informational Telephone Line for Seniors and Their Caregivers.
According to the U.S. Administration on Aging, the population of San Diegans 65 and older is expected to double between 2000 and 2030. The program aims to help seniors without access to technology or with a desire to utilize technology through phone lines.
The project is a partnership with 2-11 San Diego and is said to reach over 30,000 older adults and is slated to launch in November 2021.
The council first approved an Age Friendly Action Plan in July of 2018 which set a variety of goals to create better living conditions within the city. The Age Friendly Communities Municipal Grant was created in 2020 to support goals established by the existing Age Friendly communities program.
These funds will enable the Communication & Information and Health & Community sections of the plan, and consistent widespread and centralized distribution of information in a culturally appropriate way, and consider technology barriers. It will ensure that critical information is being provided in a variety of ways, influencing education to remove barriers to the digital divide.
The construction of this “one-stop” location will provide weekly automated informational messages to those who subscribe. Older adults in Chula Vista will be linked to automated check-ins and provide social opportunities.
