ReprintsThiscopyisforyourpersonal,noncommercialuseonly.Toorderpresentationreadycopies

fordistributiontocolleagues,clientsorcustomers,usetheReprintstoolatthetopofanyarticleororderareprintofthisarticlenow.

VirtualSeniorCenterconnectswithathomeparticipantsApril30,2015byCARAS.TRAGER.SpecialtoNewsday

Anthony"Nino"Luciano'slivingroomisfilledwithartifactsfromhisgloriouslife.Therearebrochuresandblackandwhiteglossiesfromhisdaysasanoperasinger,andframedphotosoffamilycelebrations,farawaytravelsandsailingtrips.Inthecenteroftheroomisanimposingstaircase,anarchitecturalvestigeofatimewhenLucianorestoredtheManhattantownhouseofWoolworthheiressBarbaraHutton.

Butonarecentovercastmorning,theSeaCliffresident,whoturns94thismonth,isfocusinghisattentionona20inch,allinonecomputer

monitor,embeddedwithamicrophoneandwebcam.ThroughanInternetconnection,themonitordisplaysanonlineinteractiveprogramcalledWashingtonThisWeek,producedbySelfhelpInnovations,adivisionofSelfhelpCommunityServicesInc.ThenotforprofitSelfhelpInnovationsdevelopedthetechnologyandoverseesit.

Duringthehourlongbroadcastthat'stransmittedontheInternet,Lucianoshareshisthoughtswiththeprogram'sotherparticipants,allofthemseniors,whoaremostlyhomebound.Theyappearatthebottomofhismonitorwhentheyspeak,theirfacesfilltheentirescreen.Lucianohearstheirvoicesonhissnugfittingheadphones,whichalsomuffleanynoiseinthewaterfronthomehesharedwithhiswifeof68years,Pat,whodiedlastmonthatage94.

"I'mconfinedtothehouseagreatdealoftimeandthisisagooddiversionforme,"saidLuciano,whologsontothecomputerfivedaysaweek,sometimestwiceaday,toparticipateinprogramsaboutShakespeare,classicalmusicandhealth."Afterawhile,yougettoknowthepeople[whoparticipate],andit'slikeanassociation."

Aretireewithavariedresume,LucianohadbeenatenorwiththeNewYorkCityOpera,performingmostlyinItalyandGermanyinthelate1940sandearly1950s.Withthebirthofhisson,LucianolefttheitinerantoperaworldandlaunchedNewAgainConstruction,alandmarkrestorationbusinessinWestbury.

Today,Lucianoishomefarmorethanheeveranticipated.ButasaparticipantinafreeLongIslandpilotprogramcalledtheVirtualSeniorCenter,knownasVSC,theoutsideworldis,literally,athisfingertips.

Withitstouchscreentechnologyforaccessingrealtime,interactiveprograms,VSCallows

http://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/retirement/virtualseniorcenterconnectswithathomeparticipants1.10348607

advertisement|advertiseonnewsday

homeboundseniorstotuneintoasmanyas35programsaweek,including"PopularMusicfortheViolin,""ShareYourMemoirs(orMemories)"and"WeightTraining."ProgramsemanatefromdiversesitestheJewishMuseum,TheNewSchoolinManhattan,andcommunitycentersonLongIslandaswellasinBaltimore,ChicagoandSanDiego.Programfacilitatorshostbroadcastsfromparticipatingsitesor,iftheyhaveacomputerwithawebcamandamicrophone,theycanopttodosofromtheirhomes.Intotal,140peopleserveasfacilitators,withaboutadozenbasedonLongIsland,andtheyareallvolunteers.

Thebroadcasts,running45minutesoranhour,areopentoamaximumof15participantswhohavethespecialcomputer.Aftereachsession,seniorscanlingeronlinetochatwithoneanother,thankstoSelfhelp'sproprietaryinteractivetechnology.

"It'sgreat,especiallywhenit'sdifficultforeverybodytogetoutandespeciallyifyou'reinyour90s,"saidLuciano'sson,Nino,59,aninsurancelawyerwhoalsolivesinSeaCliff.

VirtualSeniorCenterwascreatedforisolatedseniorstoprovideparticipantswithstimulatingsubjectsthatconnectthemtoeachother.VSCdovetailswiththefindingsofrecentstudiesthatcreditsocialinteractionswithstavingoffdementiaandpossiblyevendeath.

AnarticlelastyearintheHarvardBusinessReviewcitedresearchbytheUniversityofMichiganthatdeterminedsocializingtobeasimportantasbraingamesandpuzzlesinbuilding"cognitivestrength"amongtheelderly.Andina34yearstudythatendedlastyear,BrighamYoungUniversityresearchersinUtahconcludedthatpeoplewhowerelonely,feltsociallyisolatedorlivedalonehada30percenthigherprobabilityofdeath.

VSCwaslaunchedfiveyearsagoinQueensasaninitiativeofSelfhelpCommunityServices,whichhasalargeportfolioofseniorcentricservices,includingaffordablehousing,communitycentersandhomecare.Today,morethan100seniorsparticipateintheprogramthroughoutthecity,accordingtoDavidDring,executivedirectorofSelfhelpInnovations.Anadditional100participantsresideinBaltimore,ChicagoandSanDiego,wheretheorganizationhaspartneredwithothernonprofitstoofferthetechnology.

InOctober,VSCexpandedintoNassauCountythankstofundingsupport,including$100,000inseedmoneyfromtheUnitarianUniversalistCongregationatShelterRockinManhasset,$20,000fromtheLongIslandCommunityFoundationand$12,000fromtheManhassetCommunityFund.Currently,15seniorsareintheprogram,butwitheachinstallationcosting$1,680,includingthetechnology,Internetconnectionandtraining,presentfundingprovidesforonly25seniorsonLongIsland.TheWestburybasedKimmelHousingDevelopmentFoundationhaspartneredwithSelfhelptodrumupmoresupporttosustainandexpandVSC,accordingtoEllenKelly,sitedevelopmentexecutivevicepresidentatKimmel.

AttheUnitarianchurch,wheretheLucianoshavebeenmembersformorethanahalfcentury,presidentNancyChenBaldwinsaidVSCalignswithmembers'interestingrassrootsmentalhealthprojectsandtheirconcernsforanaging,isolatedpopulation.

"TheVirtualSeniorCenterisingrainedinwhoweareinwantingtohelpthosewhoarehomebound,andasweseeourmembersage,weunderstandtheimportanceofconnectingto

theoutsideworld,"shesaid.

MarcieLivingstonsignedupforVSCafterhearingabouttheprogramduringavisittothe

MagnoliaSeniorCommunityCenterinLongBeach.SincejoininginMarch,the86yearoldLido

Beachresidenthasbecomeadevoteeofaprogramonfilmnoiranda"Jeopardy!"liketrivia

broadcast.

"Iliketousemyhead,"saidLivingston,awidowwholiveswithanaideandusesacane

becauseofbalanceissues.Inasparebedroominherhome,herpersonalcomputerandVSC

designatedunitsitnexttoeachotheronalongdesk.(VSC'stechnologyallowsforSkype,Web

surfingandemail,butnotwordprocessing.)

AlthoughsheleavesherhouseforacreativewritingprogramandaHebrewinstructionclass,

Livingston,aformersixthgradeteacheratayeshivainLongBeach,saidsheis"homemostof

thetime,"whichmakesVSCaplusinherlife.Shelamented,though,thatsomeVSCfacilitators

aren'tsophisticatedorchallengingenoughforher.

Awarethatgoodfacilitatorsarecritical,SusanBerman,acommunityorganizerforUJA

FederationofNewYork'sEngageJewishServiceCorpsattheSidJacobsonJCCinRoslyn,

saidshefindsfacilitatorsinherdatabaseofpeoplelooking"togiveback"andthenvetsthem.

"WegetthemintoaGooglechatroomtoseehowtheymanage,"shesaid."Theyneedtobe

interactiveandhavegoodcontent."Typically,theyareretireesoremptynesterswithtimeto

researchtheirtopicandputtogetheracurriculum,shesaid.

Whilemanyfacilitatorsleadweekly,biweeklyormonthlycoursesdependingontheirpersonal

schedules,Selfhelpencouragesthemtohostatleastthreeprograms.Generally,classesare

notweeklycliffhangersbuttheydohaveanoverarchingtheme,suchasthehistoryofa

particulararea,currenteventsorcomputers.

Retiredafterservingasalawyer,socialstudiesteacherandonetimemayoralcandidateinhis

hometown,JoeMargolin,70,ofValleyStreamsaidhejoinedVSCasafacilitatoraftersomeone

atJCCoftheGreaterFiveTownsinCedarhurst,wherehesingsinthechoir,approachedhim

abouttheprogram.Sincelastfall,Margolinhasledanhourlongcurrenteventsprogramon

Wednesdaysfromhisdiningroom.

Becauseparticipantsarehomebound,Margolinsaidhestrivesto"keepthetopicsabitonthe

lightsideandrelevantasintheTop10mostsignificantpeople"and"ifIcanthrowinajoke

ortwo,Iwill."Healsotriestogetthemtosharetheirviews,addingthat,bytheendofthe

session,"everyonefeelstheyhadagoodday."

MargolinhasalsobenefittedfromVSC.Theparticipantsinhisbroadcast"havetaughtmejust

aboutasmuchasIhavetaughtthem,"Margolinsaid,"andwearenowabunchoffriends."

Howtobecomeaparticipant

SeniorswhowouldliketoparticipateinVSCmustbemostlyhomeboundandsociablehave

spaceintheirhomesforacomputerandbemotivatedtouseit,accordingtoEllenKelly,site

developmentexecutivevicepresidentattheKimmelHousingFoundation.

SeveralnonprofitsserveasreferralagenciesforVSC,includingSelfhelpCommunityServices

Inc.,whichoperatestheprogram,theGlenCoveSeniorCenterSidJacobsonJCCinRoslyn

theMagnoliaSeniorCommunityCenterinLongBeachandNorthHempsteadsProject

Independence.AsocialworkerfromoneoftheseagenciesoraVSCrepresentativemakesa

homevisittoassesstheseniorssuitabilityfortheprogram.

Toapplyfortheprogram,callKellyat5169973420,oremailekelly@kimmelhousing.orgCARAS.TRAGER