The CLIC-on-Health program, under the leadership of the Rochester Regional Library Council, has provided easily accessible, high quality health information to the people of Rochester for the past three years. Click here to visit the CLIC-on-Health website.

CLIC-on-Health for Seniors Project

Overview
CLIC-on-Health for Seniors is a 2-year project, which began August 2005, funded by a grant from the National Library of Medicine, with a budget of $146,290.  Its goal is to extend the reach of the ongoing CLIC-on-Health program by providing older adults in the Rochester region with easy access to trustworthy consumer health information on the Internet.  Fifteen senior centers and living facilities, located in inner city, suburban, and rural settings, were selected for their interest and commitment to the program and to represent diverse senior populations.  They are being equipped with computers, Internet service, and assistive technology for those with visual impairment or limited dexterity.  The project offers training on computer and Internet basics and online health information resources to seniors in small group sessions.  Each senior site has a nearby public library partner, with the local librarians conducting classes for seniors and staff members and providing ongoing support. 

Working with the Monroe County Office for the Aging, we identified a need for easy access to reliable health information for seniors in our community.  Many senior organizations did not have computers for seniors to use or had old machines with no Internet service. 
 
Primary Activities
This complex project includes:

1. Planning Session – “kickoff” to establish the senior site/library partnership and develop a schedule
2. Computer Equipment – needs assessment followed by acquisition and installation of equipment 
3. Awareness/recruitment session – lighthearted presentation for seniors to build interest in the project and awareness of library services 
4. Training curriculum development – five one-hour sessions covering computer basics, Internet basics, and health information on the Internet, with emphasis on the CLIC-on-Health and MedlinePlus web sites, designed for older adult learners
5. Train-the-trainer sessions for participating librarians – half day sessions for librarian trainers
6. Training sessions for senior site staff members – to enable them to assist seniors on a day-to-day basis
7. Training sessions for seniors –groups of two to five seniors held at the senior site or library
8. Follow-up training session – “graduation” session for celebration, review, assistance, and evaluation purposes
9. Seniors section of the CLIC-on-Health website – www.cliconhealth.org – to meet specific  needs of seniors using input from senior focus groups
10. Publicity: press releases, flyers, and other publicity specific to each location 
11. Program evaluation: surveys, pre and post tests, interview questionnaires, and website usage statistics

The anticipated outcomes are:

 Seniors will know about three ways to obtain reliable health information:

1. by using the CLIC-on-Health and MedlinePlus web sites themselves
2. by asking staff members at the senior site to find online health information for them
3. by using their local library

 Seniors who take the computer classes will become comfortable using the computer and will increase their ability to use health information resources on the Internet,

 The relationship between each senior site and local library will continue and grow, providing easy access to library services for seniors.

Our surveys show a dramatic increase in seniors’ awareness that libraries are an excellent place to go for health information.  Interest in computer training is high, with waiting lists for classes at some sites.  The new computers draw a great deal of attention and serve as a visual focal point.

Collaboration 
CLIC-on-Health for Seniors Project broadens the collaborative efforts of the CLIC-on-Health parent program.  The makeup of an Advisory Council that guides the project exemplifies the breadth of this collaborative effort:

• Library directors from several participating public libraries
• A medical librarian/trainer 
• Monroe County Office for the Aging liaison
• Health agency representative 
• Technical services representative
• CLIC-on-Health Project Director and Assistant
• RRLC Assistant Director

Central to the CLIC-on-Health for Seniors Project is the concept of building sustainable, working partnerships between each of 15 senior sites and a nearby library.  The local library takes responsibility for conducting training sessions for seniors and promoting library usage.  Publicity is a joint effort between project staff, the library, and senior site staff.  Successful implementation is predicated on encouraging each senior site/library partnership to conduct the program in a way that works best for them.  The CLIC-on-Health project staff coordinates efforts, offers help, and then steps back to let the partnerships work independently.

Technical services partner, the Academy for Career Development, is an essential part of the team.  At each site, they conduct a computer assessment, recommend equipment, acquire and install hardware and software, and work cooperatively with the local IT staff.  Because all senior sites consider the gift of computer equipment as an extremely attractive component of the project, their role is critical to the success of the project.

The lead agency for CLIC-on-Health is the RRLC, a nonprofit network of 450 libraries and library systems in the five-county Rochester, New York region.  The RRLC’s mission is to facilitate and enhance cooperation, service delivery, and resource sharing among its members in order to improve information access for the people of the Rochester region and beyond.

Sharing our Experience   
The CLIC-on-Health for Seniors Project offers an excellent model for replication by public and medical libraries in any location and on any scale. Across the country, the senior population is burgeoning; every community has organizations that serve seniors.  These organizations are hungry for programs that help their members and residents stay active and involved.  Health is a topic of great interest to most seniors and generally they lack the knowledge of where to find reliable health information and/or the computer competency to find such information. 

The CLIC-on-Health project staff is happy to share our experiences in implementing this project to those interested in undertaking a similar program.  We can provide lessons learned, training curriculum and materials, and evaluation reports.