The continuing mission of the Peninsula Shepherd Center is to help seniors keep doing things for themselves. And it is the mission of executive director Lisa Nokes to ensure that Peninsula Shepherd Center provides a support system so that older adults, age 60 and beyond, can live independently and self-sufficiently in their own homes.
PSC has been especially engaged in aiding seniors during the ongoing pandemic.
“Isolation is a tremendous concern, especially for seniors, with terrible physical and emotional consequences,” Nokes said adding: “We work very closely with all of the senior organizations in San Diego. Banding together, we’re a member of the San Diego Senior Community Foundation. It is probably the foremost organization dedicated completely to making the lives of seniors better.”
Nokes said COVID has also forced Peninsula Shepherd Center to become creative in providing senior services.
“We have a new program called Peninsula Shepherd Center Connections Through Technology. We take computer tablets out to folks, train them on how to use them, then link them up to their church or the library so they can be independent. We’ve taught them how to use email and they love getting pictures of their grandchildren. It has been a wonderful, freeing experience for these folks to be able to feel some connection.”
The Connections Through Technology program was funded by a grant from the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation’s No Senior Alone initiative.
Nokes added Peninsula Shepherd Center’s programs have also gone remote hosting things like Zoom bingo and chat, where people can dial in to talk and share their stories.
We take computer tablets out to folks, train them on how to use them, then link them up to their church or the library so they can be independent … It has been a wonderful, freeing experience for these folks to be able to feel some connection.”
“During the recent election we had a group of people on Peninsula Shepherd Center chat and all we did for three weeks was go through the ballot initiatives,” said Nokes. “People love to be connected and talk to each other. We just had a Zoom slideshow presentation by someone who has visited all 59 national parks and it was stunning.”
Concluded Nokes of Peninsula Shepherd Center: “We’re really trying to help seniors help themselves.”
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