Open Thread Update: How Did Senior Planet Change Your Life?

We asked for examples of how Senior Planet changed lives and here’s what we’ve heard….

There are plenty of YouTube videos for Senior Exercise out there, but none are “live” and have a definitive start time – no putting it off for 30 min. The instructors are great and I tell people, this is the best resource in the USA, and it’s FREE ;-)

-Victoria H.

…When my son had a stroke I received so many good thoughts and much help from the Lunch and Learn group. I hope Senior Planet continues to grow.

-Arlene

In August 2023, I had a massive heart attack, it was three months before I was stable enough to walk without a cane. I began Sr Planet fitness classes on line in December and really liked them. By February my balance was so much more improved, I was just about standing on one leg without a chair. I continue to see great improvements in my balance and building my strength while dealing with heart failure! Thank you AARP, Sr Planet and the awesome instructors.

-Debbie N.

I had been an amateur singer-songwriter for a number of years and thought my performing days were over. Then I joined Senior Planet this past July and discovered the Tuesday Open Mic and Wednesday Songwriters Night led by the wonderful Maggie Rothwell. I can’t express how great this has been for my emotional and mental health. Thrilled to have made so many talented musical friends!

Reader Charlie likes the online classes, especially about AI….

I just did one on AI Generated Art and I have been using Meta AI a lot in the last few weeks. Lots of fun and it makes up for my poor drawing skills.

…and Reader Dave M. loves the walk-in Center in Denver.

Great article, I have become techno savvy also thanks to the many instructors at Senior Planet, Denver. A great location carved out of a WW2 hanger from Lowry AFB! Coffee always available, bathrooms are always clean and available, parking is close and shaded! I have just finished a class, “Beyond the Basics” Taught by a great instructor , Michael Schmidt! We had a graduation party to beat the band, pot luck, and so much food and drink, it was amazing! I want to do more and will!

Want an in-person Senior Planet experience?

And for Reader Cynthia and others who love our online classes but want an in-person experience…

If you are fans of the online classes but want an in-person experience, check out the locator map here and use your zip code to see if there’s a Senior Planet licensee near you!  Licensees – often libraries or senior centers – offer Senior Planet programs conducted by Senior Planet trainees.

YOUR TURN

Check the comments for more thoughts and feel free to add your own!

Original Column:

I didn’t know how much Senior Planet would change when I applied for an editorial post seven years ago.  Back then it was a small, pioneering nonprofit seeking to disrupt aging by helping older people become tech savvy, led by an entrepreneurial visionary. We had staff meetings in one room and sat around a table with a couple of pizzas as we hashed out the issues and challenges, the innovations and opportunities. It was a fun time of growth and challenge.

And then came COVID.

That was the game changer in more ways than I can relate here. During COVID, tech savvy was no longer a ‘nice to have” skill – it was an imperative. It gave me a new and even more compelling sense of mission.  I am almost 70 and I am the audience Senior Planet and OATS was meant to serve.  I have a sense of community with our readers and a sincere motivation to offer content that is helpful, interesting, and designed to advance the goals of readers and colleagues.  And my colleagues are awesome, equally driven by a sense of mission and purpose, creativity and compassion.

Beyond that, I have become less of a technophobe.  I can do stuff online that I couldn’t before. I can FaceTime people, I can use Zoom, and I now download apps without fear.  I’m learning how to use a camera to record video, too.  I’ll be doing quick promo videos of past and upcoming content on Instagram soon. There is no way I could have done that without Senior Planet.

It’s hard to believe that Older Adults Technology Services is 20 years old….so let’s pause a minute, raise a glass, and toast how far we’ve all come…and look ahead at the exciting places we’re headed!

YOUR TURN

How did Senior Planet change your life?  Share your story in the comments!

Virge Randall is Senior Planet’s Managing Editor. She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers; her blog “Don’t Get Me Started” puts a quirky new spin on Old School New York City. Send your suggestions for Open Threads to her at editor@seniorplanet.org.