By shifting its offerings from computer support to holistic technology support, including a diverse array of classes, a senior living community has doubled attendance in its Resident Technology Support Program. Currently, 900 older adults—almost half of the residents—participate in the technology program at 2Life Communities, a LeadingAge member based in Brighton, MA, that provides housing with services for older adults in the Boston area.

Participants receive access to devices and device troubleshooting, assistance with internet connectivity, and technical support and education. A new LeadingAge CAST case study, “Bridging the Digital Divide for Seniors at 2Life,” shows how 2Life achieved this success.

Motivating Residents to Learn

2Life Communities, which manages over 1,500 apartments, is dedicated to achieving digital equity for a low-income, socially disadvantaged, and multilingual senior population. To reach this goal, 2Life presents reasons to invest in learning technology. The organization encourages older adults to join with others in technology classes, and it highlights the ways technology can enable older adults to accomplish tasks that benefit their daily lives.

Providing Practical Courses and Devices

The Resident Technology team designed a comprehensive curriculum of over 30 resident-centric technology courses in four languages, in the following categories:

• Hardware, software, and connectivity. Using devices, programs, and connecting to the internet.
• Instrumental activities of daily living and hobbies. Accomplishing daily tasks like submitting applications, searching online using traditional and artificial intelligence (AI) tools, enjoying entertainment, and working with digital data.
• Communication. Using video conferencing, email, translation capabilities, and social media and social connectivity apps.

To enable residents to benefit from emerging technologies, 2Life Communities designed and taught an innovative series on using AI tools, which provide social connection, intellectual stimulation, and the ability to learn new skills. These courses teach older adults how to interact with conversational AI chatbots including ChatGPT, how to perform natural dialogue searches, how to use ChatGPT as a language tutor, how to play social games that involve live participants and an AI bot, and how to create artwork by using text-to-image prompts.

Residents who do not have devices benefit from the Digital Device Lending Library (DDLL) program, which offers internet-connected Chromebooks, tablets, and sound amplifiers, plus training. Residents also have access to five computer centers across 2Life’s seven properties, where they can use desktop computers, printers, and scanners. Grants help support the training and device access, amplifying 2Life Communities’ investments.

Making Technology Accessible

Residents who have limited technical skills, experience cognitive challenges, or have a language barrier receive one-on-one instruction and technical support. One-on-one support is available to all residents who need special technical assistance.

Because 67% of its seniors are native speakers of languages other than English, 2Life hired technical staff who speak Russian, Mandarin, and Cantonese, the community’s most-frequently spoken non-English languages. Staff members show multilingual residents how to use language translation software, tap AI tools for translation, and adjust technical devices to use residents’ native language.

In addition, 2Life Communities focuses on identifying technology solutions for older adults with a range of cognitive and physical disabilities. The community offers education on accessibility settings and consults with the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired for guidance.

Setting up Connectivity

The Information Technology (IT) department at 2Life Communities built a Wi-Fi network specifically for the DDLL devices that residents use in their apartments and the common areas. The department also created the infrastructure for in-house Wi-Fi networks that residents use free of charge in the common areas.

Partnerships and Technology Volunteers

Staffing capacity comes through a longstanding partnership with the Boston Chapter of Little Brothers–Friends of the Elderly, with student volunteers offering weekly Tech Café classes to 2Life residents. These classes provide one-on-one technical support and an intergenerational connection, as the students socialize with 2Life older adults. In addition, nine technology volunteers work directly with 2Life Communities.

Outcomes

Since March 2021, 2Life Communities has recorded 9,122 resident technology encounters, counting events when a resident attended a class and one-on-one technical support sessions. Of these, 1,910 are teaching encounters, which reflect the number of times residents attended technical courses.

Multiple surveys with over 150 technology program members pointed to strong success:

• 97% of the respondents agree or strongly agree that they are able to receive technology support at 2Life.
• 88% agree or strongly agree that borrowing a Device Library device has made a positive difference to their independence and mastery of technology.
• 100% agree or strongly agree that they would recommend the technology class that they have taken to other 2Life residents

For more details on this highly effective initiative, please see the full case study.