Like many seniors I know, I had developed a very full schedule of activities such as weekly mahjong, volunteering at our senior center, attending our many Conejo Valley Village get together events, going to the gym and enjoying meals out with friends. These all came to an abrupt stop in March, and the end of the stoppage is not on the near horizon. In fact, just when things seemed to be opening up a little, Covid-19 reared its ugly head again, and we are on a much more cautious path.
I want to share information about a wonderful nonprofit organization that has been very beneficial n helping me get back into some of the things I have been missing. The Director of our Conejo Senior Volunteer Program sent out a list of possible activities for the time of Covid and the list included Senior Planet. I thought I had heard about it but did not know who they were or what they did. As with almost everything now, the answers to my questions were easily found on the internet.
Senior Planet came out of the work and planning of OATS, Older Adult Technology Services. This group visited senior centers around the country and found many bunker style buildings with few windows and even fewer computers and little access to technology. For almost ten years, they delivered programs to over 100 locations working to improve conditions, creating more than 30 new computer labs, sprucing up facilities and helping to increase enrollment at neighborhood centers. In 2013 with support from city and national governments, along with a host of corporate and philanthropic funders, OATS had the opportunity to launch the first ever Senior Planet Senior.
From the beginning, they were determined to get it right. They used a “design thinking” approach to ask older adults what they wanted in order to create a world class experience for them. They initially limited the search to locations that were centrally located and convenient to public transportation. After considering 70 locations in New York, they settled on 127 West 25th Street in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood and the first Senior Planet opened on a cold day in January 2013. It quickly became a hub of activity with more than 15,000 visitors the first year and so much positive press coverage that OATS won a major public relations award. Since then six additional physical locations have opened in North Country NY, Montgomery County MD, Colorado, San Antonio TX and Palo Alto CA.
Senior Planet describes the organization as a distinctive, diverse collection of people aged 60 and older who are busy changing the way we age by embracing opportunities to reshape our lives, connect with and help one another and change the world for the better – all while learning, growing and having fun. They describe their purpose as helping seniors “age with attitude.” Senior Planet uses technology to change the way we age. Their courses, programs and activities help seniors learn new skills, save money, get in shape and make new friends. They are not only about the latest gadgets, apps and websites. Instead they see these as a means to an end — enabling older adults and people of ages to come together and find ways to learn, work, create and thrive in today’s digital age. Senior Planet is the flagship program of OATS. They are nonprofit organizations with sponsorship by AT&T, NYC Department of Aging, TMobile, Time Warner and many others.
You don’t have to become a member to participate in the many programs and activities available at no cost through Senior Planet. I started attending Zoom classes about 10 weeks ago. All of their classes are currently offered online and will be continued this way indefinitely. I now have a free exercise class every morning at 9:30 PDT (most fitness classes seem to be out of NY so times are usually listed as eastern times). Mondays and Wednesdays I enjoy a general exercise class called Fit Fusion. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I take Chair Yoga and on Friday Tai Chi. The instructors are really excellent and the classes are gauged to meet the needs and abilities of seniors. There are many other fitness classes but these fit my time schedule best. I can’t over-estimate how much better I feel when I get up for a class (maybe in pajamas) than when I just spend that extra hour in bed.
I took a class on Mindfulness apps which reviewed many of these apps regarding their cost and effectiveness. I am currently taking a class out of the Colorado center on Stone Balancing. Some of their current classes are Ride Sharing Apps, Instagram Basics, IPhones, Online Banking, Telemedicine, Internet of Things: Healthcare, You Tube overview, Morning Stretch and Chair Chi.
Senior Planet and its varied program choices have been a wonderful substitute while our senior center is closed and I am not yet ready to return to the gym. If you are interested, please Google Join Us Online – Senior Planet for a list of their many offerings. I don’t believe all their programs were on Zoom prior to Covid, but now it is like a gift every morning when I have a free exercise program without leaving my house.
Let us know what you find and how you like it!