The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been frustrating for older Coloradans. While they recognize and appreciate the herculean effort of this accomplishment, concerns linger at specific aspects of the state’s rollout. To explore these issues, Aging 2.0 Denver held an informal conversation with eight experts in the Colorado aging space to gather stories from the aging community about where technology is working, or failing, in the effort to get older Coloradans vaccinated. What emerged was a candid conversation about concern for one another’s ability to access vaccine appointments, a cognizance of privilege, and a myriad logistical and ideological reasons the rollout has been so frustrating.
Kay Newman
Key Insights:
● There is a general misunderstanding of older Coloradans’ tech habits.
● Older Coloradans were not included in the technology design phase.
● Alternatives such as phone lines and volunteer assistance were not at the forefront of planning.
● There was a cacophony of information but lack of definitive directions.
● Tension between the state and our 64 independent counties caused confusion.
● Public health officials lacked connections with trusted community leaders.
● Pandemic-related job loss hit older Coloradans hardest, hindering their ability to get vaccinated with the loss of transportation, insurance, access to wifi, and disposable income.
● Getting vaccinated has been harder for disadvantaged individuals who, unfortunately, are most likely to be hospitalized or die from Covid-19.
This is what the experts had to say but we’d like to hear more about your individual experiences. To share your insights or attend a brainstorming session, contact Kay Newman at 720-252-7648 or kaymnewman@gmail.com.
Article courtesy of Kay Newman, CEO of Spry Design and member of Aging 2.0 Denver & Karen Brown, CEO of iAging, SAPGA member, and Aging 2.0 Ambassador.