Connections, Health, Aging and Technology (CHAT)

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

On August 14, 2020, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order (EO) N-73-20 to improve broadband speed and access in California, including improving download speeds for all Californians and bridging the digital divide for two million Californians who lack broadband access. The EO specifies older adults and disabled adults as a priority population. As a part of this effort, the Los Angeles County Aging & Disabilities Department (AD) has been provided 643 new Apple iPads from the California Department of Aging (CDA) with 2-year data plans from AT&T. The iPads have been distributed to eligible older adults with the purpose of mitigating loneliness and isolation for older adults, providing them with greater access to resources and information. Older adults that have been screened for eligibility with pre- and post-evaluations have been given an iPad for their use as well as enrolled in digital literacy courses with the CDA vendor, Cyber Seniors. The CHAT program has distributed over 520 iPads and referred 484 older and disabled adults to digital literacy courses.