Learn how to reach out to seniors during a pandemic and times of isolation.

1. Reaching out to seniors
during a pandemic
Sage Herman
Service Coordinator with American Healthcare Group

2. HellO!
● Service Coordinator at the Dorchester
of Mt. Lebanon for 1.5 years
● Strong interest in relationship
building
● Currently in Grad School part-time
for Counseling
● Juggling parenting, working and grad
school during the pandemic!

3. The DOrchester of Mt. Lebanon
Some context…
● Opened in June 2019
● 60 units (mostly 1
bedrooms, some 2
bedrooms
● Senior building,
affordable housing
● South Hills of
Pittsburgh

4. Getting to know the dorchester
● Sense of community
from the beginning
● Parties, speakers,
lectures, holidays
● 412 Food Deliveries
● Very active bunch
● Exercise classes,
yoga, performances
● Spending time together
is extremely important

5. Beginning weeks of reaching out
● Communication is key! (nurse, property management,
maintenance, etc.)
● Reached out on a regular basis while WFH
● Beginning days/weeks: food, meds, feeling healthy?
● Especially targeted those who didn’t have family
support, fragile medical conditions, lonely, etc.
● After boredom set in we started asking them
reminiscing questions

6. Gold bags
● All Service Coordinators were
challenged to find a way to connect
with residents- in a contactless
way!
● Donations (Facebook groups,
NextDoor, Neighbors, faith groups)
● Created gift bags to give seniors a
boost & provide activities
● Dropped off no-contact at everyone’s
door

7. Food Deliveries
● Farm to Table, But Local
● Restaurant Meals (Scratch)
● Dairy Box
● No-contact deliveries, knocked
on door and left, gloves/mask
(before it was standard
protocol
● flyers/notices/phone calls-
wanted as many people to
benefit from it so
communication leading up is
key

8. Other ways of connecting
PALS Highmark- partnership
cultivated through Maureen,
BINGO, call in programs,
lectures, stories, jokes &
boredom busters
Newsletters- important way to
connect from afar
● recipes, inspirational quotes, info on
where to get food, over the phone/online
activities

9. Thinking outside the box...
Silver Sneakers Exercise
Classes- moved outside!
● Spread chairs apart
● Put out sanitizer & wipes
● Blocked off a section of
the parking lot
● Small changes made it
“safer” (own weights,
etc.)
● Tent for hot weather

10. Thinking outside the box some more
Outdoor Movie Night!
● Wanted to take advantage
of being outside with good
weather
● “Throw-back movie”
● Spread chairs out, masks,
bring your own food
● Sense of community &
bringing people together
for FUN!

11. Mail room bingo
● Created by a fellow AHG Service
Coordinator!
● Creative way to give residents
something to do each time they
check their mail
● If you are working remotely you
can ask Property Manager to post
the numbers for you (online Bingo
generators)

12. Now’s the time for creativity!
● Reach out to your community (family,
friends, social networking) for ideas and
suggestions
● Try something totally different
● Get comfortable with not everything
working out or being “a win” (exhibit on
the right!)
● Use this time to re-evaluate what’s
working, what do you want to change, what
do residents really need?
● Ask residents for their ideas

13. Closing thoughts
Sometimes our light goes out, but it is
blown again into instant flame by an
encounter with another human being.
~Albert Schweitzer