“Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly (LBFE) has enjoyed our collaboration with CTN for the Tech Allies 2.0 Program,” says Debbie Uchida, who is a volunteer coordinator and coordinator of the Tech Allies Program. “This has been a vital program during the COVID-19 pandemic as our older adults continue to shelter in place. Our collaboration has given us the resources we needed in order for us to help our older adults learn how to receive healthcare access from home.”
A couple of years ago, CTN partnered with LBFE to present Tech Allies 1.0 — a program that trained 100 seniors on the basics of digital literacy. Now that we’ve shifted to remote training, we are excited to continue working with LBFE on an updated program: Tech Allies 2.0.
The new program will train 50 seniors, most of whom are graduates of the previous program. Forty seniors are currently enrolled in the program, and 27 seniors have begun their training. Each learner receives a preconfigured tablet and a step-by-step training booklet.
In Tech Allies 2.0, learners will move beyond basic digital skills and focus on health and communications. After a couple of review sessions, seniors will be trained on how to navigate online patient portals. They will learn how to cancel and request appointments, view past visits and test results, get prescriptions refilled, and virtually visit with their doctor. They will also receive training on reliable health websites and useful apps.
The program’s focus on health and communications will allow learners to advance their digital skills and utilize the internet in new ways. Online health portals can be confusing for anyone — Tech Allies 2.0 will ensure that learners can easily navigate these sites and get the help they need.
CTN’s primary role in the partnership is to develop the seven-hour curriculum and train the LBFE staff and volunteers to deliver these materials to their seniors. This partnership, part of our train-the-trainer program, will enable us to reach more learners and expand our impact. LBFE is an invaluable partner to CTN. We are excited to continue our work with them to keep seniors connected!
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