The Emergent Connection Platform: A New Model to Foster Social Connection in Later Life

• In Event: Aging and the Life Course Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): 10: Social Connection and Engagement Among Older Adults

Abstract

Loneliness and social isolation are urgent public health challenges, particularly for older immigrants with disabilities who face compounded risks related to language exclusion, economic insecurity, health disparities, and reduced mobility. Latine older adults are among the fastest growing aging populations in the United States and experience disproportionately high rates of chronic illness and visual impairment yet remain underserved by culturally and linguistically responsive interventions. Addressing these inequities requires social innovations that mobilize multiple forms of capital to foster connection, participation, and belonging. This community-engaged case study examines Well-Connected Español (WCE), a national virtual program serving Spanish-speaking older adults, many with sensory or physical disabilities. Drawing on qualitative interviews, program documents, and consultation with program leadership, the study identifies a new programmatic model that supports sustained engagement among linguistically marginalized older adults with visual impairment. Results from this analysis led to the identification of three foundational pillars that make up the emergent connection platform model. The first, infrastructure that is culturally, linguistically, and physically accessible. Second, program design that cultivates opportunities for members’ leadership and co-creation. Third, a flexible and adaptable structure that can expand beyond its initial design and services. This model produces a mutually reinforcing dynamic in which members’ initiative drives program adaptation, and program flexibility strengthens member capacity. Through this reciprocal process, a community-anchored platform for social support, participation, and idea generation emerges. Together, these reinforcing forms of capital create a flexible infrastructure that expands networks beyond the program itself and advances social connection and participation in later life.

Author

• Laurent Reyes, UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare