Helping Seniors Navigate COVID Issues

Lots of people are somewhat limited in their capability to navigate effectively in an electronic world.  It’s a situation made even more difficult with so much personal contact eliminated because of COVID-19 virus closings and restrictions. The Hill recently addressed many of the issues facing several million adults in Michigan and millions more nationwide.

The State of Michigan admits that older residents are facing a range of challenges accessing virus-related information. But now the state Department of Health and Human Services is taking steps to turn that around. The department is partnering with “GetSetUp”. That online portal specializes in providing information and education for adults in a way that is fairly simple to access and use.

The state is also using that online platform to present a series of informational sessions about COVID-19 and the vaccination process many find daunting.  The department’s Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s chief medical executive, will join one of the sessions this afternoon to provide an overview of the vaccination process in Michigan. Today’s session is scheduled to begin at 3 this afternoon.  Pre-registration is required.

Lawrence Kosick is the co-founder of GetSetUp. He says,  “Right now, learning how to get a vaccine and scheduling an appointment is the top priority for older adults in Michigan, but many struggle with having sufficient technical expertise to find and navigate to the correct website(s) to sign up for the vaccine. Together with MDHHS, we’ve been able to expand our partnership and very quickly begin hosting live, online vaccine information sessions. Based on our experience in Michigan and the support of MDHHS, this is now a program we’ve expanded across the country to help older adults in Michigan and everywhere get the information they need to protect their health."

Along with the specific vaccination sessions, Michigan residents may access about 150 free online tutorials addressing everything from using a smartphone, to setting up an email account.

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