017 – Bringing Generations Together with Nita Wilkinson of Green Hills Community

Resources:

• International Council on Active Aging
• LeadingAge

Get in touch:

• Website: http://www.greenhillscommunity.org/
• Email: nwilkinson@greenhillscommunity.org

Full Transcript

Spencer Brooks 00:04

Welcome to Health Nonprofit Digital Marketing, we’re a podcast for nonprofit marketing and communications leaders using the internet to reach and engage people with health issues. I’m your host, Spencer Brooks of Brooks Digital, a digital agency for health nonprofits. Today I’m joined by Nita Wilkinson. Nita is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Green Hills community, and they’re a nonprofit senior living center in West Liberty, Ohio. So, Nita, thank you so much for coming on the show today, I’d love for you to just start by telling listeners a little bit about who you are and the work that you do.

Nita Wilkinson 00:41

Oh, well, thank you so much for having me, Spencer, I am the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Green Hills community. And what that means is I do donor development, I market the clinical parts of our campus as well as do wellness with our independent living on campus. So that allows me to have a life that’s very full of variety. And just the way I like,

Spencer Brooks 01:04

I love it. And the one of the things that you reached out to me about Nita was your tech teen savvy seniors program, which I understand is a program that has been very successful that helps seniors become more tech savvy, I thought it was a really interesting topic, you were able to share some great stories with me. But before we dive into that, I’d actually like for you to just explain why is tech savviness? Why is that such an important skill for seniors to develop?

Nita Wilkinson 01:38

Well, I think it’s important because our whole entire world is full of technology. And our seniors aren’t always getting the same opportunities that you and I are getting in life. And the reason this whole thing started was my mom went to a family reunion. And she, she came back and she was so proud of herself because they all had smartphones. And she was the smartest person in the room with her smartphone, because she could take pictures with it. And she could text them to her grandchildren. That made her smarter than anyone. And I said, Oh, Mom, your phone is so much bigger. And as I talked to being in, in aging services, as I talked to more people, they really wanted more of the technology, but they were afraid of it because they didn’t know how it worked. So I started looking for someone that could teach them about technology. And I went to a local box store and said, Hey, I have people that they’re gonna buy your stuff, so do you want to do this? And they were Yeah, let’s do it. Let’s do it. And they just couldn’t, they don’t have the manpower to get it done. So when I came to Green Hills Community, I put out to a couple of my friends, I wanted to do this. And Katie Rittner, from our local health, high school, both Mountain High School said I would love to bring my kids and be a part of this. So, we put the seniors and the teens together. And they brought their, you know, their phones and their e readers and their computers and all their things. And some of them wanted to know about, they wanted to know about social media, other people wanted to know, you know, very basic things on their smartphone, and just things like that. So that’s what started the techy teens savvy seniors program.

Spencer Brooks 03:21

I think it’s one of the reasons that I wanted to highlight this is I think that, people who listen, especially people like me or other people who work in Marketing and Communications, which is the primary audience of the show. They may assume that a baseline technology skill level for the people that they communicate with and to and I can certainly fall prey to this, if I’m not careful is just assuming that everyone has the same aptitude as I do.

Nita Wilkinson 03:55

Right?

Spencer Brooks 03:56

So I really love this the perspective that you’re bringing to this, Nita because it’s a good reminder of certainly for listeners that not everyone has that same aptitude. And I guess I’m curious a little bit more about the program. So it’s called Techie teen savvy seniors, I can say that, right? And, so as you, could you tell me a little bit more about how that got started and how it began to unfold within your community?

Nita Wilkinson  04:29

Well, as I said, I connected with Katie Rittner. And we put together a plan. And the plan was really originally based around how we would grow this program only through technology. What I found was the elders, the independent living elders at Green Hills, were super excited about this program. And they all brought a different question that they wanted to having answered or different questions I should say. So we built a program around teaching technology and we buddied them up. So one teen with one,  elder, and they were, so they were able to learn things one on one. Now we had some couples that might be with one of the teens or if we had more teens than elders a particular day, they might have two teams with an elder. But that was the original plan and how we worked through it. Some of the things they wanted to look at, of course, all the things on smartphones, they have the smartphones, and they just want to know they’re paying a lot of money for them. And all they’re using them for is to answer the phone and talk to people which they have a landline. So, they’re not sure why they even need this. So learning things like that. Social media was a big one. They were interested in being on social media because they wanted to keep up with their grandchildren and their great grandchildren. I had a lady who wanted to send the same email to all four of her sisters and what she was doing before techy team savvy seniors was retyping it, she wasn’t even copying and pasting it. She was typing it, printing it out and then typing from her printing to the next sister exactly the same words. So that was pretty easy fix, as I’m sure you know. I had a lady who brought me, before we met the first time she brought me in a package with the wrapping still around it, the plastic wrap still around it, an iPad that her grandson had given her for Christmas, no one helped her open that on Christmas Day, they all just assumed it’s an iPad, she’ll be thrilled to have an iPad, everybody wants an iPad. And it was a wonderful gift and very thoughtful. She didn’t even know what it was. And so, of course, we started meeting in September. And by Christmas, she was able to go back to her family and be on social media and show them the pictures she had taken. And they never knew that this was a big deal for her to learn how to use it. They just assumed she knew. And by the time she got to the next Christmas, she did know how to use it. So just things like that, that have helped them kind of come in to the technology age, and they love social media. They are most of them are on it now, they connect with each other that way, it was a great resource for them during the shutdown, because they couldn’t get out and do anything. And so we put together a page, I get together with them once a week, we call it coffee connection, we put together a coffee connection page, and they were able to connect with each other and do Facebook Lives and things like that. So that was really cool. And we didn’t even see that coming.

Spencer Brooks 07:42

Yeah, I can totally see that. Especially with isolation in COVID. Yeah, it’s hard for us that are extremely tech savvy. To be able, it was, exactly it was a challenge even for us. So, I can imagine it’s all that much more for someone who didn’t have technology as a channel to connect. Yeah. You kind of alluded to this, Nita, but I’m curious to get your impressions on, if you noticed a change in in confidence or disposition or even the emotional state of seniors after they had gone through this program. After they had gained some more tech capabilities. What were some of your observations?

Nita Wilkinson 08:28

Oh, absolutely. They were much more confident. You know, like I said, social media was something that intrigued them, but it also frightened them. They, you know, being older, they had all these ideas, if I get on social media, everyone will know you know this about me or they’ll be able to see my bank account or whatever it is they worried about. And they were so much more confident. Some of the things that the teens did, that really helped and were funny and made social media so much easier for them was they had challenges, where a teen and an elder would pair up and they would put their things on social media, whether it was pictures or dances or whatever. And they would have contests and who you know one contests like be who gets the most likes and other contests might be to see who can get the most comments. And they would celebrate those as well. One of the coolest things to see was at Christmas time that first year, the kids all came in with, they all had their own idea of what they were going to do for social media. And then they took one two or three of the of the elders with them. And the one that one it they taught the elders how to do the Whip and the NaeNae and it was the most fun thing, watching them learn it and get it and they just they laughed and they giggled and the kids laughed and giggled and there was such a connection between the elders and the teens and that was an unexpected piece of the program that Katie and I didn’t see coming. But they, they just really enjoyed each other’s company. And they it turned into so much bigger than technology. It really became an intergenerational program that included technology but was so much more.

Spencer Brooks 10:20

I know that, you know, sometimes the perspective can be, especially with teenagers, right, that maybe they’re, they’re lazy or not very kind. But I think that is, it’s a great example. I think that perspective being up ended a little bit. Could you share a little bit more about that, like, what were some of the things that you noticed in in the kids and the teens as they were interacting with elders?

Nita Wilkinson 10:48

it was so much fun to see the teenagers see the value of the elders and the life that they had lived. I think that, I watched them in so many different ways, with how they interacted with them. And it they became kind of like, honorary grandchildren to them. They connected in ways that, they wanted to know more about the seniors, the elders, homecomings, and their proms and their sports and how did they do things and how things like, you know, these kids always knew about computers. And so it was so interesting to them to hear how computers were brought in to the lives of the elders, and how when they first came, it changed their entire job process. And what went with that. So, there were those kinds of things. There, it was really cool, because they ended up doing a prom for the elders, these kids chose to take their Monday after prom, and keep all their prom decorations up, and then did a prom for the elders at Green Hills community. And the guys wore their tuxes and the girls wore their gowns. And it was just really, it was just really cool to watch. And they danced together. They had a prom queen and king and they came to us and asked who that might be. And we had a couple that had been married 70 years, that month. So, they were the prom queen and king and it was just really, really cool. Some of the elders went to their graduation. And the school was great about, they had also, I guess I take a step back, they had also invited them to their basketball games, because some of these teams were cheerleaders and basketball players. So, they had decided to have a study senior night and invited our residents, our independent living residents to come and watch the game, we probably had 20 or 25 people go to the game that night, they had cornered off a section for them that was easy to get in and out of, they had free snacks for them. They announced that they were there during every time out and the whole crowd would clap for them. It was just a really cool experience. They had a pizza tailgate with the seniors ahead of time, the teens and the elders had a tailgate together. So, it was just really cool. And one of the things that that came out of that conversation and really made the teens think was one of our elders was talking about how much she loved playing basketball in school. And Liz, one of the teens was a basketball star for the girls team. And she said, I didn’t know you had basketball then. And she said, Yeah, I wish we could have done full court. And Liz said, I would have never stood for that I would have told them we were going to do full court. And the resident said you don’t understand we were happy to be able to play when they had the court available. It wasn’t like it is today, we would never have dreamed of even asking for more because we were so thrilled to have what we had. And it really made the teens take a step back and say wow, we’ve come a long way. We’ve come a long way as women, we’ve come a long way with technology and they really they really started to see that’s when they started asking all the questions. Well what was your homecoming like? Well, what was your prom like? Well, how did you celebrate Christmas? Did you have all the stuff we have today and learning how different it was became so fun for the teens that they actually brought their phones and sometimes video cameras and I would sit down one on one and interview the elders about their hobbies when they were younger, their proms, their schoolwork, you know how they got to school, not the same way we go to school today and all the things and so they had some really, really cool videos that they were able to share as well.

Spencer Brooks 14:50

Wow. One of the things that occurred to me as you’re talking is, it sounds like the dynamic of these interactions at first was perhaps skewed to words the teens making a contribution to the elders in terms of teaching them technology skills.

Nita Wilkinson 15:06

Absolutely.

Spencer Brooks 15:07

Then over time, as this relationship developed, we see the opposite happen, where the elders start to contribute meaningfully to the teens, perhaps in a way that they didn’t expect. And so I guess my question is you what, in, in your opinion, I guess, are some ways aging folks can add value to those around them?

Nita Wilkinson 15:28

You know, I think, I think ageism is one of the isms we don’t talk about very much, and it is alive and well in our country. And they have so much value. When you think about what elders have seen in their lifetime, one of the favorite topics of conversation for the teams was outhouses, because more than half of these folks had outhouses at one time in their homes, or behind their homes, or their grandparents homes or something. And so there were some really funny conversations about that. But for us, as adults to step back and say, these folks, you know, our most fragile, our most vulnerable people right now, they went from no plumbing, to holding a computer in their hand, and everything in between. And I think that the way that they adjusted to all of these new experiences, they have so much value, and so much that they can teach us about patience and flexibility, and listening, because we’re all in such a hurry. And they didn’t have any choice, but for these things to go through their lives. And, you know, thinking about, we’ve all had computers in our jobs, or most of us anyway, from the beginning. Most of the people that I interact with at Green Hills went from doing things by hand to doing things by a computer. And with that comes a lot of anxiety and a lot of angst about whether they can handle it. And they did handle it. And they did move through it. And they have stories to tell some of them funny, some of them poignant about how they got through that time. But I think that those experiences make them very valuable to us, because we don’t have those experiences, we don’t change things at the level that they had to change things in their life, and we probably won’t ever again.

Spencer Brooks 17:24

It’s a very good perspective, I think that especially seeing the vast amount of changes that they had to go through. I can also imagine that for a teen, especially someone who’s younger, that our generation, you know, meaning the people who are, you know, alive right now. And, you know, maybe in their, you know, their teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, whatever, we’re in the workforce, we’re, we’re going at it, we encounter our own set of challenges as well, and things that you know, the things that are challenges for us right now. So, I think that’s also very inspiring. And it can be inspiring to hear you know what, here’s the story of someone who has gone through so much and has adapted right. And I think it sounds like a great encouragement for not just teens, but for all of us today.

Nita Wilkinson 18:16

I think they do, I think they do offer that, because we do go through challenges, but hearing how they got through those challenges and their experiences, I think can be inspiring, and show us the courage that they had.

Spencer Brooks 18:29

That’s wonderful. Well, I it’s been really, really inspiring to hear all that. And I did want to ask you, as well, kind of transitioning to some of these questions that I enjoy asking everyone. What’s one thing right now that you’re working on that’s really a challenge? And what takeaways can you share with other people that might be working on that same challenge?

Nita Wilkinson 18:53

I think the biggest challenge, you know, I mean, I work in health care, aging services, and one of the biggest challenges always has been what, especially in long term care and home health and even short term care. Nobody wants that, you know, and they don’t want to talk about it until they absolutely have to have it. So marketing and having people understand what you do before they actually need it can be very difficult. You throw COVID in the mix, and now really nobody wants it because they’re afraid if they go someplace or have someone come into their home for health care that they might bring them COVID that they might not have gotten otherwise. So, there’s so much education that goes with that and it, for me, it’s education, the educating the discharge planners at the hospital and talking to the families as they are making those decisions about what is best for them. I am very blessed in that we offer everything that you can have at aging services from hospice care down to we even have child daycare as a matter of fact, at our place, but being able to offer them different things, you know, you can come to our, to our rehab center and get short term rehab. And here’s what we do to protect you from COVID. We can have someone come into your home, and here’s what we do to protect you from COVID. And so it’s a lot of education. Because no one has well, it’s happened a few times, but rarely, rarely does someone knock on my door and say, Hey, I can’t wait to go to your rehab center. So it’s that education for when they need it. And that, I think, is the biggest challenge. And it’s just meeting the people where they are, whether it’s going to churches, or events or offering something and they come to you and learn about it. That is the best way I think, to meet that need for us.

Spencer Brooks 20:45

That’s a great perspective on both that challenge, because I know, you know, there’s folks that listen as well, that are, you know, in a similar position as you as well as a way to meet that. And I that’s one of the reasons actually, I was excited to have you on the show, Nita is that up to this point, we’ve worked with a lot of, or had a lot of people on the podcast that were in support type of organizations, and not so many people that would might be on the provider side. And so I wanted to bring you on it to be able to talk to those listeners as well and, and address some of their challenges. And so thank you for sharing that. I did want to also ask, what resources you would recommend to listeners who might want to keep up on the trends in nonprofit marketing?

Nita Wilkinson 21:38

Well, for us, we are in aging services. And I think two of the biggest ones that I utilize almost daily one is,  it’s the International Council on active aging, they are a wonderful resource, they have a magazine, they have a podcast, they have a webpage, and they are a wonderful resource for people that are looking to help elders understand that age is a number and that they should still be setting goals and doing the things that they want to do., wherever they are in life, you know, whatever they’re able to do, how can they still set goals and reach those and for others that are active, keeping them active so that they stay active longer. And the other one is Leading Age, we have a state Leading Age in Ohio as well as a national Leading Age and that is for aging service providers. And they do a wonderful job of keeping us up to date with you know, right now changes within our industry are happening almost every hour, let alone daily, and they have a great connection to the Senate and the House and, and all the Medicare and Medicaid and all the things that are going on there. So, we are able to get the information, we need to be the best that we can be to serve our population.

Spencer Brooks 23:02

Those are some great resources, thank you for, for sharing those. And as always, I’ll make sure to pop those in the show notes as well for listeners who might want to find the links to those and go visit them. So Nita, I wanted to give you a chance here as well as we close out this interview to give listeners a way to get in touch with you if they’d like to learn more about your work. So, what are some ways that they can do that?

Nita Wilkinson 23:27

Well, they can get a hold of me by email. My email is nwilkinson@Greenhillscommunity.org. So that’s pretty, pretty easy. They can do it through that. Also, I’m on Facebook, Anita right there, Wilkinson, they can reach out to me that way as well. And Green Hills is on Facebook, too. So those are probably the best ways to get a hold of us, I guess at Twitter on at Anita 62.

Spencer Brooks 23:56

Wonderful. Well, thank you, Anita that, that wraps up our show for today. For listeners. We are a new podcast as I’ve mentioned. So, we’d love your rating or review on wherever you listen to this Apple podcasts or, or on Google or the stitcher or many other places where this show is as well. This show is part of the thought leadership of Brooks digital. We are a digital agency for health nonprofits, and we specialize in web strategy design and development. So, if you’d like this podcast, feel free to check out our website. It’s Brooks dot digital. You can find more of our insights and learn about our work. But anyway, with all that said, Anita, thank you again so much for coming on the show today.

Nita Wilkinson 24:38

Thanks for having me.