In this world of fast information, fast food, and fast results, it’s easy to forget the importance of slowing down and face-to-face communication.
Many seniors haven’t forgotten this. While many of them have email, smart phones, and tablets, many do not. One of the most important challenges today is to remember to really interact with program participants. In the rush for efficiency and the convenience of technology, we can, inadvertently, leave seniors in the virtual dust.
Ten years ago, when I began working as the senior programmer for the city of Safety Harbor in Florida, there was one lunch trip and one day-excursion trip a month—in a 15-passenger van. Now, there are three to four trips a week, including lunches, day excursions, casino outings, and overnight trips—in a 33-passenger bus—all of which are staff-planned and staff-run. With that type of schedule, there isn’t much extra time in a 40-hour week.