Allegheny County Human Services launches new messaging platform to reach seniors
Allegheny County is taking a new approach to connect with the thousands of seniors who use its services.
The Department of Human Services’ Area Agency on Aging is rolling out a new messaging service that aims to provide older adults with more accessible information about the resources available to them. Launching this Wednesday, the pilot platform can provide tailored texts, calls and emails in up to 80 languages.
Older adults can learn about Home Delivered Meal updates, information about farmers market vouchers, housing and utility resources and information to stay engaged with activities held by local senior centers. The new platform will also help the agency provide referrals and quickly collect survey data for feedback.
All county seniors who are currently registered with the Department’s SeniorLine database will receive a roll-out text message.
Shannah Tharp Gilliam, director of aging services at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, said the goal of this launch is to take a more proactive approach with its communications and meet seniors where they are.
“How could we provide information directly to a place where people have access to regularly, like your cellphone?” Ms. Gilliam said.
While anyone who participates, or has participated, in the county’s older adult services will automatically get enrolled, Ms. Gilliam said the messages will be custom to the individual, depending on where they live or what services they’ve used.
If someone lives in Plum, they won’t be receiving unnecessary updates about a community center or service in Pittsburgh. Seniors can also learn about home food delivery changes in their own neighborhood.
own neighborhood.
“There may be people who need to know that their delivery is going to be delayed today because there’s inclement weather,” she said. “That message wouldn’t need to go out to everyone, but it will be targeted to specific delivery routes.”
This past year, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging held listening sessions across the state for The Master Plan for Older Adults — a 10-year strategic plan designed to meet the needs of a rapidly growing senior population.
Those sessions revealed that many seniors are still feeling isolated from the pandemic. With older adults less comfortable venturing out from home, attendance at county seniors centers have dwindled and still haven’t regained their prepandemic numbers, said Ms. Gilliam.
The new service will let community members know about the latest social and educational activities being held at their local centers, with the hopes of encouraging them to engage again.
The familiar text and email interface is also an easy way for seniors to send feedback about the services, which Ms. Gilliam says will just be a few questions to identify issues more quickly.
“We would like to make that as easy as possible,” she said. “This is an opportunity for us to test out the system and to see how much of an impact it does make in the quality of services.”
The best way to join is to call the SeniorLine at 412350-5460. Text messages from the platform will appear on users’ phones from “Allegheny Aging” and come from 412-356-9046.
Messages will not be used for any solicitation or requests for payment of any kind, and recipients can opt out of these communi