Key Takeaways
According to recent NCOA survey, 84% of the community-based organizations serving older adults rely on volunteers.
Yet, the majority (92%) report that volunteers are unable to work at the same level or at all during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NISC's Program Manager Maureen O'Leary and other senior center professionals walk through the suggested guidance for reestablishing senior center operations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 14, 2020, the National Institute of Senior Centers hosted a "Guidance for Resuming On-Site Senior Center Operations" webinar. NISC's Program Manager Maureen O'Leary and other senior center professionals, including Keri Lipperini from ACL's Office of Nutrition & Health Promotion, covered the importance of shifting to online programming to continue serving older adults and the guidance that's available for senior centers looking to resume operations following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The slides also highlight findings from a recent NCOA senior center survey. Nine in 10 community-based organizations have pivoted to offer services to older adults virtually or by phone, including benefits counseling (25%), caregiver support (24%), chronic disease self-management education (11%), and falls prevention education (10%).
NCOA and NISC are still collecting responses for the operating status of enior center during COVID-19. We would welcome an update from your organization through this survey. We will continue to update the senior center COVID-19 operating status outlook soon.
