SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — In this digital age, many seniors find computer use to be an important source of medical information, financial information, entertainment, and connection/interaction with loved ones.
“While many older adults are comfortable using computers, others are not, often finding computer technology to be intimidating,” said Sherry Fusco, Director of Older Adult Services – College Avenue for Jewish Family Service.
“Even when older adults have computer know-how, they may not have easy access to a computer.”
Now, thanks to a $10,000 grant from Supervisor Ron Robert’s Fourth District Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund, Jewish Family Service has additional funding for computers and a DSL line, as well as furniture which will be used to create the new College Avenue Cyber Café at the College Avenue Older Adult Center (4855 College Avenue).
Launching September 1, the Cyber Café will offer classes in Brain Fitness, a Judaic websites, searching the Internet, Skyping, and more. A Grand Opening celebration is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, September 1st from 10am-3pm.
Fusco emphasized that it’s important for seniors to have regular mental exercises that strengthen reasoning, memory, language, visual skills, and spatial skills, preventing or slowing the deterioration in memory, focus, and thinking that often accompany aging.
After researching various ways of providing such exercises, Jewish Family Service has purchased a license to utilize Brain Fitness software by Posit Science, which studies have shown to be effective in improving cognitive function in older adults.
Each month, over 400 seniors utilize the College Avenue Older Adult Center, well over 110 on any given day. The center offers a broad array of programming, including providing a daily nutritious lunch. Given its location, the center serves a lower-income clientele than the other senior centers.
Currently, said Fusco, the Center has a small computer lab consisting of four computers. “Thanks to the allocation from Ron Roberts and the Board of Supervisors,” she said “we will soon have the resources to provide group classes in addition to the individual classes we now offer.”
The increased capacity of the Jewish Family Service computer labs will facilitate use of the Brain Fitness program, an innovative cognitive fitness program currently being implemented at leading retirement communities across the country. Jewish Family Service is one of the first agencies to implement this type of training program.
Fusco noted that the Posit Science Brain Fitness Program™ challenges the commonly held belief that the brain can’t retrain itself. Scientists have spent 30 years showing it is possible to “teach an old brain new tricks.” While this training program has been clinically validated, the most fascinating results are found in the stories of those who use the program. There are a number of older adults who have benefited from their mental workouts.
The initial program focuses on auditory processing and memory. After just 40 hours, participants, on average, have experienced 10+ years of improvement in standardized measures of auditory memory and cognition.
“Everyone wants to stay sharp, vital, independent and in control,” she said. “Now, participants at College Avenue and are other two Older Adult Centers have this opportunity.”
For more information about College Avenue Older Adult Center or the Grand Opening, call (619) 583-3300 or visit .
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Preceding provided by Jewish Family Service of San Diego