Executive Summary

Organization Background

In 2008, Chris Roussy and Brian Hanrahan met and began discussions about the lack of internet connectivity among senior citizens, in particular low-income seniors. Chris had experienced the challenge of maintaining email communication with his own elderly grandparents, and his struggle to teach them the fundamentals of internet use so they could interact with more ease and frequency. Brian brought years of experience implementing wireless systems and end-user support in communities and resorts. Bringing seniors online within their residential facilities, they believed, was doable and would provide a number of benefits. In addition to increasing communication via email and Skype with family and friends, it would also improve access to education, healthcare, financial assistance, cognitive skills and eCommerce. Chris recognized that connectivity and equipment costs, as well as training on computer and internet use, are the primary barriers to engaging this growing segment of the population. In 2009, in collaboration with Chris’s father, Mark Roussy, they founded CommunityVine, a non-profit organization committed to improving proper broadband access in affordable senior housing communities and facilitating the ability of residents to actively participate in and benefit from today’s technology driven society. CommunityVine’s mission is to provide underserved senior citizens with reliable high-speed internet capabilities, related educational services, access to emerging eHealth “aging at home” technologies and instruction on maintaining a personal health record


“Today, millions of low-income American families are left at a disadvantage because they cannot afford broadband Internet access or the necessary supporting computer equipment.”

~ Senator Jay Rockefeller, Commerce Committee Chair
Author, Broadband Opportunity and Affordability Act


“Currently, only 30% of adults over the age of 65 have adopted broadband at home.”
~ Pew Internet & American Life Project


When taken in combination, the above two statements show that low-income senior citizens are the most unlikely segment of the population to have regular access to the internet and the training to utilize it effectively. In fact, access for the elderly is increasingly critical because mobility problems make traditional forums for interaction with others, education, commerce, and healthcare even more difficult as people age. Technology-driven changes in healthcare in particular are a key factor in CommunityVine’s efforts to make internet access available to underserved seniors. The growth of eHealth applications (healthcare services provided to the patient from their personal residence through broadband), and “aging in place” technologies (applications that contribute to the ability to live in one’s own home as long as confidently and comfortably possible) create an underlying necessity for every senior citizen to have internet access and personal computers. The initial CommunityVine program will emphasize three priority areas within the “Aging in Place” space referred to as Medication Optimization, Remote Patient Monitoring and Personal Health Record maintenance.

“Medication non-adherence results in approximately $177 billion annually in direct and indirect costs to the U.S. economy, while $47 billion each year for drug-related hospitalizations.”
~ National Council on Patient Information and Education

According a recent study on Remote Monitoring conducted through The Veterans Health Administration, “In addition to the expected decreases in emergency room, hospital, and nursing home use, use of preventative services and medication adherence increased, as did patients’ understanding of their condition, confidence in self-management, communications with physicians and nurses, feeling of connectedness to the care team, sense of security, and health-related quality-of-life scores. Remote monitoring for end-of-life care decreased the total combined costs of hospital and ED use over six months for 100 veterans from $151,771 to $25,119.11.”
~ Telemedicine Journal & E-Health

While efforts like the Broadband Opportunity and Affordability Act, currently introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate, aim to provide support for broadband in low-income households, no other organization is addressing the multiple challenges – and huge benefits – to specifically engaging underserved senior citizens in this technology. CommunityVine aims to meet this unfulfilled need by providing underserved senior residential communities with Wi-Fi internet access, personal computers, computer and eHealth education, personalized web-based applications for internet ease-of-use and ongoing support.

Current Programs

CommunityVine’s program includes building and installing broadband infrastructure, providing a personal computer to each facility resident, and supporting the use of computer and internet use through initial training and ongoing support via helpdesk availability, onsite volunteer trainers and educational center. CommunityVine is currently engaged in collecting letters of interest from senior residential facilities and municipal housing authorities about future partnerships. CommunityVine has partnered with the CLPHA (Council of Large Public Housing Authorities) to further program initiatives and to date, 50 letters have been submitted, affecting over 5,000 senior citizens.

Program impact

CommunityVine recognizes that a critical component of the program is ensuring that this underserved population continues to use the technology effectively following implementation and training. Ongoing helpdesk support, on-site trainers made up of staff or residents, and a location and materials for additional learning are all necessary for continued successful use of the program. CommunityVine will assess the impact of the program as follows:

• Log helpdesk requests and sort by facility
• Survey facility 3-6 months following implementation with questions regarding use of learning area and materials, feedback from residents on computer use, use of email to communicate with residents, availability and effectiveness of on-site trainer, ongoing successes and challenges regarding the program, and health impacts on population through use of eHealth applications
• Survey residents 6-12 months after implementation with questions regarding use of specific computer applications, including email, shopping, education, and eHealth applications; benefits and barriers to adoption; perceptions of their own health and access to healthcare based on use of eHealth technologies
• Quarterly contact with on-site trainers to obtain feedback and provide support and additional training


Collaboration

CommunityVine recognizes that accessing existing expertise is critical to ensuring success. Partners include residential facilities and municipal housing authorities which will receive the benefits of the program and help to obtain funding; technology companies such as Moderro Technologies for hardware and computer applications and Kiva Networks for wireless network and components; Health IT Certification certified individuals to facilitate the transition of senior residential communities to Health IT applications; Senior Health Foundation and DiscoverSkills.com to provide initial education training, video tutorials and live help desk support; eHealth International, Inc. to provide instruction tutorial on eHealth technologies, specific applications, and maintaining personal health records.