Making sure that every guest feels welcomed and valued is no easy task for any party host.
If the party is intended for older residents – some of whom might lack transportation, have physical limitations, speak another language or suffer depression brought on by a recent illness or the loss of a spouse – the task is that much harder.
Putting out a welcome mat won’t be enough. You will have to “brighten the path” to your program’s door.
That was the aim of the Morris County Organization for Hispanic Affairs (MCOHA), when it launched an age-friendly grant project to create a series of social gatherings in the Town of Dover, hoping to attract older residents who rarely participate or who feel excluded from community life.
Over the course of a year, the organization’s “Brightening the Path” project organized older-adult-centered celebrations for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, Easter and other occasions, each featuring Spanish and Latin American cuisine and music, dancing and activities. They also organized a “Seniors Prom” that more than 150 attended.
The project succeeded in getting about 350 older adults to attend eight events. MCOHA’s successful outreach was aided by the agency’s decades of experience in offering recreation, transportation and Spanish-language case work services to older adults in Morris, as well as by its partnership with the Town of Dover, its three senior buildings, the Morris County Nutrition Project, a local restaurant and a local yoga teacher.
“Dover is a diverse, welcoming, and culturally rich community with a strong Hispanic and immigrant population,” said JoAnn Quattro, executive director of MCOHA. “Many of the older adults served through this initiative are Spanish-speaking seniors who value community, culture, family-style meals, music, celebration, and personal connection.”
“Through these events, a new network of friendships, sense of belonging, and a community was created,” Quattro added.
Having food and entertainment that honored residents’ cultural heritage was one strategy project leaders employed to encourage lonely or isolated older adults to attend.
Another was to hold the events in accessible places and, in some instances, to bring the programs and activities to buildings where many older residents live.
For example, the organization put on three separate Valentine’s Day gatherings in each of the town’s three senior housing buildings, which are home to many Spanish-speaking residents. In all,150 residents participated in the Valentine’s Day events, despite that often being a lonely holiday for older adults who’ve lost spouses or other family and friends.
Project leaders also sought input from older residents through a survey that asked about their participation concerns and their preferences for the types of gatherings they would like.
Responses to the survey led project leaders to revise its original plan for holding a springtime Easter Egg Hunt and gardening event and instead they offered a chair yoga activity that many of the respondents had requested.
“At first, some participants were hesitant because they associated yoga with exercise and were unsure whether they would be able to participate,” Quattro said. “However, after trying it, many seniors shared that they found the activity relaxing, gentle, and accessible. This helped us understand that older adults are very interested in wellness activities when those activities are adapted to their comfort level and physical abilities.”
That wasn’t the only pivot the project took. During Thanksgiving, MCOHA volunteers and staff offered to drive meals to older adults who were unable or uncomfortable to attend in-person activities. Those volunteers and staff found that many of these seniors lived very isolated lives and felt invisible to their community.
“For many of them, the simple act of receiving a Thanksgiving meal at their door, along with a few minutes of conversation and personal attention, had a powerful emotional impact,” Quattro said. “It reminded us that the value of this work is not only in the meal or the event itself, but in the message behind it: you are remembered, you are valued, and your community cares about you.”
The social gatherings organized under the grant project were attended by many Spanish-speaking older adults who did not regularly participate in other local programs, which also meant that many of them were also unaware of local resources and services that could provide them with needed support and assistance.
“Because our staff and volunteers are bilingual, we were able to form relationships of trust with them, then build bridges to other community partners,” Quattro said. “This Age-Friendly grant initiative has strengthened community connection, supported emotional wellness, honored culture and helped older Hispanic adults in Dover feel seen, valued and connected.”