Researchers at the University of California’s Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) have launched Lighthouse for Older Adults (Lighthouse), a public private initiative to pilot access to telehealth and internet services to low income seniors.
More than 1.6 million low income seniors who live in affordable housing and often suffer from chronic diseases, are at higher risk for contracting COVID-19. However, at the same time, lack access to high quality healthcare options, financial resources, broadband connectivity, and access to reliable information. This has led to seniors leading stressful lives made worse by the pandemic.
With $3.6 million in funding and partners including affordable housing providers, technology distributors and NGOs, Lighthouse aims to equip older adult residents in affordable housing communities with internet access, provide telehealth tools, and digital literacy skills needed to access information, healthcare services, and social connections.
In addition, residents of affordable housing communities often do not have reliable access to devices, sufficient bandwidth for telehealth, or adequate social services. This is further complicated by the need for multilingual and culturally sensitive programs.
As a result, Lighthouse is developing and will deploy a technology-enabled ecosystem to promote health and well-being to include internet access, digital hardware and software, telehealth technology, and community-based peer-to-peer digital literacy training in two California affordable housing buildings.
CDW Healthcare, Decimal.health, and Healthy Aging in a Digital World Initiative at UC Davis Health https://bigideas.ucdavis.edu/health-aging-digital-world are all working together to address how to use the internet infrastructure by providing effective digital skills training.
The pilot program will serve more than 300 older adults and will take place in two Northern and Southern California communities operated by Front Porch and Eskaton, both nonprofit senior living providers that manage a combined portfolio of 38 affordable housing communities.
When successfully implemented at the two pilot sites, Lighthouse aims to expand to four additional affordable housing communities. At this point, Lighthouse will develop a strategy for replication and scaling for California and then onto other parts of the country.