Telehealth and Wellness Services for Low-Income Seniors https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/proposals-2020/telehealth-and-wellness-services-for-low-income-seniors https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/@@site-logo/sitelogo-75x75.png

Telehealth and Wellness Services for Low-Income Seniors

Additional Information
Used for	The California Aquatic Therapy & Wellness Center (dba Pools of Hope) respectfully requests program support to provide telehealth services for socio-economically disadvantaged seniors with special health conditions to improve mental, physical, and social well-being. We provide age- and culturally-appropriate services for older adults with a physical or developmental disability, chronic condition, or injury. Over a one-year period, Pools of Hope will support the well-being of 500 low-income seniors in Long Beach, Compton and Paramount, California.
Benefits	Funding from the Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation will benefit the world by increasing access to health and wellness services for older adults that enable them to age in place, stay safe and fit at home, and improve overall well-being. Pools of Hope's health and human services are designed to address the specific symptoms and secondary conditions caused by a disability or chronic illness, including but not limited to inabilities to control voluntary muscles, abnormal muscle tone, reflexes, motor development, coordination, and sleep and weight issues. An important benefit of receiving services from Pools of Hope is that there are no wait times and seniors can obtain membership and engage in physical therapy without a prescription.
Proposal Description	Pools of Hope would be grateful to secure a $10,000 grant from the Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation. Funds will support program costs for staff and supplies to implement telehealth services for approximately 500 older adults. This program includes physical therapy, exercise, and wellness workshops, delivered by highly qualified and trained staff. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pools of Hope has switched up programming to include online services. The online exercise and wellness programs are critical for older adults to reduce loneliness and isolation while maintaining good health. The communities of older adults that we serve are primarily people of color, low-income, and living with a chronic condition, disability or injury. To support clients staying safer at home, Pools of Hope has developed creative ways to improve the well-being of our older adult clients and keep them physically fit, including the following: •We are using Zoom, Facebook, Instagram and other platforms to encourage our members to continue exercise for their mental and physical well-being during this difficult time. Pools of Hope has partnered with Blue Marble to create an avatar-based Health in Motion program that is fun, interactive, and engaging for clients of all ages. •We have added an online, live-streaming, land-exercise program, as well as a video series of 15-minute workouts that can be accomplished in a small space. The classes are taught by our aquatic staff and include Tai-Chi, Chair and Bed exercises for our clients that are mobility challenged. •We offer Wellness Workshops online that provide preventative health information for older adults, such as fall prevention, nutrition, chronic diseases prevention and management and other topics that clients are interested in learning about. Staff are doing continuous follow-up with clients through phone calls and e- mails to stay connected and improve mental well-being. Since the pandemic started, Pools of Hope has established a partnership with Blue Marble Health, a technology-based organization that has created a remote monitoring platform for healthy living. Through an online app, Pools of Hope is utilizing Blue Marble to assist older adults in creating an avatar for demonstrating exercise and therapeutic activities. Our wellness staff are able to design personalized exercise regiments that will improve well-being and address specific health needs, such as fall prevention, living with COPD, and other conditions. Pools of Hope’s Community Engagement Director will implement the proposed project and report to the Executive Director. In-house staff that includes a Physical Therapist, Wellness Coordinator, Swim Instructors, and others will provide the content for exercise classes, physical therapy, and workshops for older adults living with a physical or developmental disability, chronic condition, or injury. Pools of Hope has been imbedded into the North Long Beach community since 1963. Residents in this area face barriers to achieving good health and well-being, including exposure to community violence, homelessness and poverty, lack of insurance, food insecurity, and limited safe places to engage in recreational activities or receive supplemental education. Over the years, Pools of Hope has increasingly become a community hub for neighborhood groups and other non-profit organizations to meet and provide services for residents of the greater Long Beach area, Compton and Paramount. Eighty percent of Pools of Hope’s clients are living at or below 133% of the Federal Poverty Level. We offer access to services on a sliding scale basis for those in need, and 85% of patrons qualify for free or reduced-price programs. In the past year, Pools of Hope clientele was 40% African American, 30% Hispanic, 20% Caucasian, 5% Asian and 5% Pacific Islander. As the only free standing, hospital unaffiliated, nonprofit warm-water therapy facility in the Long Beach area, Pools of Hope is committed to offering high quality programming that is responsive to community needs, and is the only treatment option available for many uninsured/under-insured, low-income clients living with symptoms of chronic illness or permanent disability. Pools of Hope’s programming assist individuals to 1) increase or maintain mobility; 2) prevent or reduce secondary conditions (physical, mental and social ailments that result either directly or indirectly from an initial disabling condition, such as pain, sleeplessness, bladder problems, etc.); 3) improve mental health through inclusion, reducing social isolation and providing a network of peer support; 4) increase physical fitness to reduce obesity rates; and, 5) provide innovative, therapeutic aquatic programs for children with autism spectrum disorder. Physiological benefits include improved coordination, range of motion, perceptual and spatial awareness, muscular and cardiovascular endurance, and relaxation. In terms of psychological health, aquatic activities can reduce anxiety and improve mood and self-esteem. Pools of Hope is a beacon of light in the neighborhood and is a symbol that anyone can achieve a higher well-being at our facility, regardless of their circumstances.