By Simona Valanciute

San Carlos resident Ed Robles is not someone who stays at home easily. Before California’s shelter-in-place orders went into effect, the 93-year-old World War II veteran was busy and active, filling his time with personal training sessions, coffee club and volunteering with San Diego’s Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol, where he even won “Law Enforcement Volunteer of the Year” in 2015. Unfortunately, social distancing restrictions have forced him to sideline all of his in-person social, fitness and volunteer activities.
But Ed hasn’t been lonely or lacking in purpose. In fact, just the opposite: he has eagerly embraced virtual learning, fitness classes and social groups, and he will likely keep these up long after the state re-opens. Ed’s experience shows that our 65+ population can confidently navigate life online, which will be crucial for combating social isolation in the long months until it’s safe for seniors to re-engage physically with society—and, even more importantly, demonstrates that the solution to isolation in older adults may very well be virtual, especially for those who are already homebound or have limited mobility.
Not all elderly individuals are able to be as active as Ed. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness and social isolation were already a serious concern for seniors. Studies show that social isolation, which leads to higher levels of cardiac disease and mental health issues, can be as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Being in lockdown has inevitably exacerbated these negative effects for seniors who were already isolated and cut many more off from their social lifelines outside the home. California has recognized this, and implemented statewide efforts to combat social isolation among seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, while immediate services such as meals and transportation are vital to every seniors’ wellbeing, the longer-term benefits to their health will come from social engagement online.
Ed’s granddaughter Christianna Ortiz, who he has lived with for the past three years alongside her wife Jeune, knew her active grandfather needed a way to be engaged with the world if he couldn’t leave the house. Almost as soon as the pandemic hit, Christianna signed Ed up for online classes with San Diego Oasis, a nonprofit that provides lifelong learning courses for seniors. Due to the pandemic, the organization moved its courses online (literally over one weekend) – and has seen a new level of engagement from older students and instructors alike as hundreds enrolled and continue to sign up in droves. The average San Diego Oasis online student is 71 years old, and some are in their 90s. Instructors are typically around 60 years old. All have eagerly embraced the online learning model, and some classes are seeing upwards of 150 registrants.
Once Christianna set him up on Zoom, Ed dove right into the Oasis course catalogue. He now takes 8 to 10 classes per week, in subjects such as philosophy, tai chi, history and technology. His new online life isn’t limited to educational pursuits, either.
“He loves Instagram,” says Christianna with a laugh. “He has his own page and spams me.”
However, she emphasizes online learning has been the key to preserving Ed’s mental health—and thereby his physical health—while he’s social distancing. “They make him think and engage while at home. It’s amazing the amount of questions he has.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on older adults, both physically and mentally. Whether they’re virtual classes, social media groups or any other sort of online gathering, “senior centers without walls” may be crucial to the health of our seniors. Students like Ed prove how flexible, dynamic and curious our seniors are—far from the fearful, technology-shy stereotypes often reflected in the media. Creating new virtual spaces for seniors to gather, socialize and learn new skills will keep them truly healthy both now and for years after life resumes something resembling “normal.”
Simona Valanciute is the president and CEO of San Diego Oasis, an award-winning nonprofit organization serving people age 50 and better, who pursue healthy aging through lifelong learning, active lifestyles, and community service. Learn more at http://www.sandiegooasis.org.