Technology is no longer considered ânice to have.â Itâs become increasingly necessary for people to keep up with technology so they can easily access health care resources, banking information and communicate with friends and loved ones. As our world evolves and innovates, seniors struggle to keep up and effectively utilize the newest tools and gadgets on the market. In addition, older adults are more prone to physical limitations of getting around and staying involved in community activities, as well as an increased likelihood to develop feelings of depression and social isolation. In 2019, entrepreneurs Neil Dsouza and Lawrence Kosick put their heads together to determine how they could elevate these tools to champion what older adults have to offer and empower them to keep learning and thriving. Using their backgrounds in ed-tech, software and product development, they banded together to create GetSetUp, an online community that offers live classes, social hours and special events tailored to benefit and entertain older adults. Â
The platform has very quickly become one of the largest and fastest growing communities of older adults on the internet, boasting over 4.6 million users from around the world who are interested in learning new things and connecting with other older adults. Live classes are taught by field experts, many of which are around the same age as users. This similarity allows for users to learn the class content faster and follow along at a comfortable pace with experts who are in a similar stage of life. Classes are offered 24/7, which allows users across all time zones the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of insightful programming. Whether someone enjoys a morning yoga class, an afternoon session on technology, or a meditation session in the middle of the night, thereâs always something on for users to take part in.  Â
Sessions are offered in five different languages so older adults across various cultures can take part in courses and social hours through the language they are most comfortable with. Courses are offered on a variety of topics, including art, technology, business, cooking and more. If there’s a topic someone enjoys consistently, they can search for a series of sessions tailored to the things they enjoy most. Users can even search by instructor if they find one they enjoy learning from or interacting with consistently. Users can register for a variety of plans, including a FREE Community Plan focused on community-based programming and limited live class offerings, as well as a Premium Plan for access to hundreds of live classes and premium events. Residents in the Centralina region can take advantage of the Partner Plan through the Centralina Area Agency on Aging (AAA) at no cost. Â
One of the users through the Centralina AAA plan, named Nadine, began using GetSetUp shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began. She had worked for years as an event planner, organizing events big and small for a variety of celebrations and causes. Not only did her introduction to GetSetUpâs classes and social hours allow her to think outside the box to plan pandemic-friendly events, but also provided her with an inclusive community where she felt comfortable learning new skills related to her professional and personal interests. She benefited greatly from specific courses focused on Zoom and Gmail that allowed her to easily create and facilitate virtual events and connect with friends and family during lockdown. Â
If you or a loved one is interested in joining the GetSetUp community, please visit www.getsetup.io/partner/centralina and use code âCENTRALINAâ to join the Centralina AAA Partner Plan. You can also read more about Nadineâs experience with GetSetUp through this recent blog article. Â
