Connecting Seniors to Care (CSC)
The CSC project provides homebound seniors with Alexa devices in order to study how it affects their overall quality of life and Social Determinants of Health. We successfully completed the pilot phase of this study with a small group of seniors, thanks to a grant from the Administration for Community Living.
At this time, we are seeking additional funding to expand the program and replicate it in other Texas markets.
The success of our Home-Delivered Meals program is delivering a daily nutritious meal and more. Research has determined that the social interaction during the meal delivery provides meaningful health benefits as well as nutrition. The pandemic led us to find new ways to improve the Social Determinants of Health of our clients even when we could not be there in person.
Through the expanded use of technology and the internet, we believe that an assistive device with artificial intelligence, such as the Alexa Echo Show, can significantly expand the opportunities for Meals on Wheels programs to promote both social and nutritional wellbeing. Our goal is to define effective strategies for connecting seniors to care through their home delivered meal along with the additional interactions of Meals on Wheels staff and volunteers, and, through their personal caregiving team.