Glenmeadow to Offer an IT Primer for Older Adults

 In Client Press Releases

Three area professionals to lead a hands-on workshop

WEST SPRINGFIELD—Glenmeadow will offer a presentation on technology and the many ways it can be used for entertainment on Thursday, October 17 from 10 a.m. to noon at the West Springfield Public Library, 200 Park St., West Springfield. 

“Get Tech-Savvy: An IT Primer for Older Adults” is the second program in the fall Glenmeadow Learning series, which provides free educational offerings in the community. In this workshop, participants will learn how to use apps—or software applications—on computers, tablets, or telephones to connect with friends and loved ones who are far away or to play games or get a ride.

The presentation will be led by Derek Allard, owner of Tunnel 7, which offers digital design and marketing services; Ryan Askew, owner of Ryan Askew Web Design & Development; and Patrick Lostaglia, Glenmeadow’s network administrator. 

Today’s technology makes it possible for us to connect with people through our computers, tablets, and telephones. Allard, Askew, and Lostaglia will offer an overview of how these tools work; participants will then break into small groups for a demonstration of programs that can be used for various purposes. 

Participants must bring a smart phone, laptop, or tablet.

Allard has been designing and building websites since the late 1990s.  His work has appeared in design books, but he gets most excited when designs help improve the overall business for his clients. He speaks regularly on many digital topics and when not working can be found hiking in the White Mountains where he is trying to summit all 48 4,000-foot peaks before he turns 50.

Askew brings 10 years of front-end web design and development experience, a varied list of local and nationwide clients, and a wide range of projects.

Lostaglia has been with Glenmeadow since 2016, serving the organization as the network administrator. Lostaglia has more than 30 years of computer experience, and holds over 150 computer and IT-related certifications.

Get Tech-Savvy is free, but space is limited, and reservations are required. To register, contact Jazlyn Wanzo at jwanzo@glenmeadow.org. For more information, or to register online, visit glenmeadow.org/events.

Glenmeadow Learning is one of many free programs Glenmeadow offers to members of the wider community. It represents only one facet of the life plan community’s mission to serve seniors across the region and to operate as a socially accountable organization.

Established in 1884, Glenmeadow is a nonprofit, accredited life plan community; it provides independent and assisted living at its campus at 24 Tabor Crossing in Longmeadow and expanded Glenmeadow at Home services throughout greater Springfield.  

To learn more about Glenmeadow and its history and offerings, visit www.glenmeadow.org

About Glenmeadow 

In the 1800s, elderly individuals without family or means were sent to live at what was called “the poor farm.”  In 1884, a group of civic leaders raised funds among themselves and other area families and purchased a house on Main Street in Springfield’s south end, establishing The Springfield Home for Aged Women. Quickly outgrowing that house, land was purchased on the corner of Chestnut and Carew streets, where a new home was constructed and opened in 1900.  In 1960, the name was changed to Chestnut Knoll, and, in 1992, it began to admit men.  

In 1993, the organization purchased a 23-acre parcel in Longmeadow to build a new community that would provide both independent living and assisted living in one building with various common areas.  This was a new concept known as a continuing care retirement community.  Existing residents from the old Chestnut Knoll property were moved to the new campus in 1997.  Shortly after the move, the board voted to change its legal name to Glenmeadow to coincide with the name being used by the developer of the property.  

Continuing care retirement communities are now referred to as life plan communities, responding to the needs of the aging population with new opportunities for care, plus creative, educational and personal exploration. Glenmeadow offerings, which include everything from senior living options and handyman services to personal care and travel programs, are provided at its Longmeadow campus and across the region through Glenmeadow at Home. Glenmeadow strives to fulfill its mission of nurturing the whole person in mind, body, and spirit.

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