Each year, the Eldercare Locator's annual Home for the Holidays campaign encourages discussion of important issues affecting older Americans at a time of the year when family and friends often gather. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and interact with one another. This year, holiday gatherings will be different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which encourages physical distancing, particularly for older adults who are most susceptible to the negative health impacts of the disease. For many older adults, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a loss of social connections that, if left unaddressed, can have serious negative mental and physical health consequences. To address these concerns, the Aging Network has helped ensure older adults have a place to turn for social engagement opportunities.
 
To help educate the public and key stakeholders about this year’s campaign, n4a produced a consumer brochure, Staying Connected and Healthy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Resources for Older Adults and Caregivers, which highlights the importance of social connection, its impact on our health—and ways the Aging Network can help older adults connect to their communities during this time of limited in-person social interactions. To order the brochure, please visit the Eldercare Locator online store.
 
To help your organization use this national campaign to share information about your local programs to help older adults stay connected in their communities, n4a produced a consumer brochure (English and Spanish) and a toolkit of materials the Aging Network can use to promote social engagement programs and services in their communities. Add your logo and contact information to the customizable versions (English, Spanish)!

Toolkit for the Aging Network:

• Partner Toolkit
• Sample Press Release
• Sample Newsletter Article
• Sample Social Media Posts
• Sample Social Media Graphics

Watch the recording of the webinar held by n4a and our partners at the University of California, San Diego Center for Healthy Aging to learn more about the campaign and ways the Aging Network can use campaign tools to increase social engagement among older adults in their communities. You will also learn how the Atlanta Regional Commission has and will use the campaign materials to promote its new One2One social engagement program.

Does your agency have programming aimed at reducing social isolation and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic? If so, tell us about it! We’d love to highlight the important work you do every day for older adults in your community.

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For more information on the importance of social connection and local resources that can help address the need, please visit the Eldercare Locator's Resources for Social Isolation and Loneliness webpage.