Our own, Bill Neely, SACRD’s Executive Director, brought our briefing with a launch-and-learn about SACRD’s newest Portal into resourcing as we age forward and as we care for others in doing so.
Quick recap
The meeting focused on a tutorial demonstration of the Older Adult Portal on Sacred.org, presented by Bill. Bill explained how the portal provides detailed filtering and specific service options for older adults, including categories like caregiver support, housing, transportation, and health services, with over 1,000 programs identified across 75 categories. The discussion also covered the broader topic of community connectivity and resource sharing, with participants exploring how to better integrate Sacred with other initiatives like Volunteer SATX and Bexar Collaborative Action Network to avoid creating silos while strengthening community connections. Ann Helmke encouraged the group to consider their collective wisdom on moving forward with Action Tables and Round Tables at the Intersection, suggesting they survey participants to better understand the impact and value of their weekly virtual and monthly in-person meetings.
Summary
Older Adult Portal Tutorial Plans
The meeting focused on plans to create a tutorial for the older adult portal, which Bill will present as part of an intentional series on older adults. Ann Helmke mentioned a previous Action Lab session that had good attendance despite weather challenges, and noted upcoming content about social connections in San Antonio’s 78207 zip code, funded by Humana, and information about volunteers in the school district. The discussion was cut off mid-sentence, so additional topics may have been addressed after the transcript ended.
Volunteer Platform Discussion
Ann Helmke proposed hosting a session on tangled titles at the Intersection and discussed the future of action tables, suggesting a city-wide volunteer platform that could connect all nonprofits. Bill shared that a similar volunteer portal already exists in Comal County through the McKenna Foundation and could be expanded to San Antonio with proper support. The group learned that a potential partner, Volunteer SATx, may already be working on a platform, which Ann suggested investigating further.
Older Adult Portal Demonstration
Bill demonstrated the older adult portal on Sacred.org, explaining how it provides detailed filtering and specific program options for complex needs unlike the general Sacred search. He showed features including knowledge base articles curated by experts, detailed program categories, and search functionality, while emphasizing the portal’s ability to help users find over 1,000 programs across 75 specific categories for older adults. Bill also highlighted the share buttons for printing and texting information, and the suggested edit feature allowing users to report updates to program information.
Older Adult Program Guidelines
Bill discussed the age definition for older adult programs, explaining that most programs start at 60 years old, with some as low as 50 for vision and hearing-related programs. He addressed questions about finding human accompaniers for medical appointments, noting that wellness check programs and Ride Connect services offer support for this need. Rich inquired about in-person demonstrations, and Bill confirmed that while they are moving toward online resources and tutorials, they remain open to meeting with groups in person or via Zoom when invited.
Family Caregiving Systems Evolution
Ann Helmke discussed the evolution of family caregiving systems, noting how grandparent-grandchild relationships are reversing to become caregiver-caree relationships. The group explored ways to better connect with the community, with Jane suggesting conducting anonymous surveys to understand participant value and impact. Participants discussed strategies for broader outreach, including infiltrating healthcare systems, business sectors, and educational institutions, with Bill explaining how Sacred.org supports social workers through training and pocket cards rather than providing direct case management services.