Author Terry Englehart describes the Senior Center Without Walls, a free telephone-activities program for homebound elders which was honored with a 2008 MindAlert Award. Participants can call in to more than 40 courses and groups held every week, some of which are led by the elders themselves. Imaginations soar at telephone-based cruises, birthday parties, zoo visits and other events. More importantly, homebound elders who once may have felt isolated and alone have regained a sense of community via the accessible and low-tech telephone. Read More >>

“Whether elders are isolated in their own homes or living in a residential setting,” writes Kathleen Mayo, “public libraries have found ways to provide these older adults with access to a full range of library services.” Libraries house important resources, including skilled staff, public computer centers, print and electronic materials, outreach services and meeting rooms. Mayo cites a number of programs around the United States that enable older adults with limited mobility to connect with their local libraries through home delivery, mail, mobile libraries, and telephone and online services. Read More >>

When the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Missouri, Columbia, moved into its new facility, the staff was unaware of the spectacular potential that was at their fingertips. The building had formerly been a training site for grammar-school teachers -- and to expand this training statewide, the administrators had constructed a fiber-optic network linking the facility to school systems and libraries throughout Missouri. With this technological infrastructure already in place, the Osher program soon launched into the adventure of offering lifelong learning via interactive television. Read More >>

University Without Walls, created in 1989, is a innovative conference-call program that offers more than 200 teleconference courses to older adults in New York City. The offerings range from courses such as “Works by T. S. Eliot” and “Global Terrorism and Its Roots” to bingo games and discussion groups. As described by Bonnie Jacobs, the program provides an opportunity for homebound elders to join with others and alleviate the social isolation that those with limited mobility may face. Read More >>

“As we all know, learning never ends,” writes Leadership Council chair Kali Lightfoot. “But learning in community -- in schools, universities or senior centers -- does sometimes end for older adults who become isolated. . . . Some of the most poignant conversations I have had with older students have centered around how distressed they will be when they can no longer come to classes.” The advent of new technologies, several of which are profiled in this issue of The Older LEARNer, has brought hope into this conversation. Read More >>