Forever Dublin

Empowering seniors today and tomorrow

By Rebecca Myers

With COVID-19 dominating the world’s stage this year – especially because of the vulnerability of older adults – Dublin has found a way to remind people that older adults have never stopped being on this community’s mind.

Forever Dublin is a unique initiative led by the City of Dublin, but designed by and for Dubliners, that offers local seniors a voice in the broader conversation about “aging in place.” That means finding comfort, independence and ease in staying in your own home and own community as you grow older. It’s all about making Dublin a place for people of all ages.

After hours of meetings with hundreds of people involved, Forever Dublin launched in spring 2019 out of a need to educate and encourage Dublin’s adults 55 and older as they aim to stay rooted and involved in their town. A goal of Dublin City Council, the effort provides residents making the transition into older adulthood with valuable resources to be successful in their next phase of life. Forever Dublin functions as an umbrella plan over many different services, but the Forever Dublin Hub works as that important education core. The Hub was also built for residents trying to talk to their older parents or loved ones about senior living, as well as learning to manage the stress of caring for others.

Syntero, the City’s primary partner in helping bring the Forever Dublin Hub vision to light, is an emotional wellness health counseling agency that is home to the Hub office. The Hub acts as an expert provider and referral service, using an older adult specialist team and Navigators to zero in on the community’s needs, while the City serves as a dot connector to facilitate those local conversations.

Residents have the option of free one-onone sessions with a Navigator and ongoing learning opportunities through the Forever Dublin Hub, plus the ability to be appropriately matched with any needed services they might uncover during their personal appointments. Older adults have access to resources covering critical topics such as housing, transportation, home care, Medicare, meals, safety and emotional wellness. At the start of the year, Syntero had already chosen an annual focus that would come to be a defining theme for 2020:

combatting isolation. As older adults would quickly start to feel the weight of isolation because of stay-at-home orders required across the state, this emphasis grew swiftly.

As Zoom calls and video chats become synonymous with maintaining a social life from indoors, Forever Dublin got to work to connect older residents with the initiative’s ongoing educational efforts using technology. Regular in-person appointments moved online, and web-based classes like Coping with COVID cropped up to tailor information to older adults wanting to stay in touch with their families, neighbors and Dublin at large.

Likewise, the City of Dublin’s Outreach and Engagement Team wanted to continue supporting its older adults who were suddenly experiencing a new loneliness by offering a little joy – and a free meal. With support from local faith groups, Dublin non-profits and area restaurants, Box Lunch Wednesdays began. The Forever Dublin Community Team also joined forces during one of the events this summer to pass out lunches to older community members who needed a moment of togetherness.

Lined around the parking lot of the Northwest Presbyterian Church this June, older adults drove up to tents to find volunteers sporting neon safety vests and hats ready to hand over literature about Forever Dublin’s purpose, along with a freshly prepared lunch – all from the safety of their vehicle.

Box Lunch Wednesdays became its own outreach center, with volunteers from different groups sharing info on isolation and ways to connect via the internet. According to the City’s surveys, all the participating older adults found the information from the meal pick-up days to be helpful and informative during this time of uncertainty.

Before the pandemic rearranged routine, older residents could get their questions answered in person through Forever Dublin’s one-on-one appointments, the Dublin Community Senior Center, or several different avenues. With COVID-19, those personal appointments with the Forever Dublin Hub are now delivered through a telehealth platform and will continue online or over the phone through the rest of the year.

Learning is a big tenet of Forever Dublin, and socially distanced learning has been able to continue that objective with classes like “Coping with COVID” on Zoom. That session has helped adults practice self-care, stress management and connect with others in new ways.

Another driving force behind Forever Dublin’s mission is its active volunteer base. The Forever Dublin Community Team advises the City of Dublin and Syntero by helping to keep older residents in touch with their neighbors in order to stay connected and get some of the assistance they need. In the past, volunteers have focused on going to the grocery store together, taking an older adult to the salon, or doing some light weeding in the garden.

Now, that volunteer component has concentrated on grocery delivery to keep residents safe from possible exposure to COVID-19, while helping them pass the time by dropping off puzzles, books and other activities. Older adults can also be linked with a volunteer who will visit more often, helping do small projects or offering them some conversation over the phone.

Syntero’s Older Adult Program coordinator Victoria Alexander says the unique partnership between the City of Dublin and her agency has helped further these essential community conversations and outreach to seniors. Alexander notes that the strong relationship with the City’s policymakers leads to change that’s impactful to others.

“It’s exciting to work directly with the city staff,” she says. “Not something that happens a lot with city governments and nonprofits.”

As the world adapts to technology in the face of the pandemic, Forever Dublin

What Box Lunch Wednesday Goers Had to Say “Thanks to all the volunteers and contributors! We have not been out of the home, only to go to the grocery story very infrequently. These box lunches have been a saving grace to us. We have no family close. THANKS! THANKS! THANKS!” “A thing to do and look forward to is a real help when one is quite sequestered.” “Keeping togetherness in a time of crisis and uncertainty is a welcome relief to all.”

remains a permanent yet innovative staple in a community that seeks to keep older Dubliners empowered and ready to enjoy the next chapter in their lives.

Want to learn more or sign up for an online event? Visit foreverdublin.com. Partner with Syntero for counseling and referral services at 1-614-889-5722 and syntero.org. For more information about the City of Dublin’s overall Forever Dublin initiative, contact Christine Nardecchia, director of Outreach and Engagement, at 1-614-410-4406.