DALLAS — The vaccine rollout in Texas has led to thousands of registrations with a low supply of vaccines, but some older Texans are facing other obstacles like the digital divide and lack of transportation.
Here's how people can help older community members get registered for the vaccine, whether it's a neighbor or family member.
Many nonprofits in North Texas are helping older adults get registered: Brother Bill's Helping Hand, The Senior Source, Mansfield Mission, and many others.
People over the age of 65 are eligible to currently receive the vaccine as part of Group 1B.
Ask what their concerns are
Check if they are registered for the vaccine and if not, find out why. It could be that they may have seen misinformation that it will cost money (it doesn't), they don’t have transportation, registration is confusing or they don’t trust in the vaccine effectiveness.
"Education is so important -- not only where to get vaccinated, but that the vaccine is safe and knowing what you need to expect when you go there," said Senior Source President and CEO Stacey Malcolmson.
She says there has been misinformation and scams targeting seniors. Remember, the vaccine does not cost anything and you will not be asked to show a Medicare card.
Technology and registering
A high percentage of people don’t have high-speed internet in Dallas. Some older residents may have internet on their phones but are capped with a data usage limit which could deter them from registering.
"Seniors might just decide that they just aren’t gonna bother. They could pass over an important doctor's appointment," Malcolmson said. "That has really been called to our attention."
Another issue could be if a senior has eyesight issues or dexterity issues, which could make it harder to register on their smartphone.
The Senior Source has been giving trainings to clients and volunteers for internet skills, which have come in handy as the pandemic continues and especially during vaccine registration.
Isolation
Seniors in particular have been encouraged not to leave their homes during the pandemic, so isolation has been very strong on older adults.
"It can cause mental and physical decline," Malcolmson said. "We know in dementia patients have really seen cognitive declines because of isolation."
Check on your neighbors and the older adults in your family.
Transportation
Ask them if they need a ride to the vaccine distribution site, but also help them find out if they can utilize golf carts or other ways that they can move around the site easier.
Trust and education
"A lot of our clients and volunteers are still very hesitant to take the vaccine because they are concerned around safety," Malcolmson said. "So we have to educate them about the safety."
For Black older adults, the safety of the medical community has been a struggle, but it's been encouraging to see leaders in the Black community send messages of reassurance, she said.
"Older adults might know someone in their lives who was taken advantage of when they were younger so that lack of trust is really real," she said.
Resources
"The Senior Source is here to help," Malcolmson said. "We have our website our phone number and even if you don't live in Dallas or Collin, we will help register on the phone."
You can call the Senior Source at 214 823-5700.
Dallas County is also helping people register for the vaccine by phone at 972-692-2780 or at 469-749-9900. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and assistance is available in both English and Spanish.
You can also call the city of Dallas librarians to help sign up by phone. Call your local library or the main library at 214-670-1400.
