Seniors Enjoy Picnicking in the Midst of a Pandemic

Socializing is key to staying healthy

Did you know social isolation is more deadly than smoking 15 cigarettes a day? That’s why it’s important to balance safety and socialization. It has become even more important during this long-lasting pandemic for people to get out and stay connected to their friends and loved ones.

Not only has Center for Elders’ Independence kept its social centers open through the whole pandemic, but we’ve widened attendance and offered two shifts a day to make sure everyone who wants and needs to get out of the house can do so safely among friends, while observing COVID precautions.

Hawaiian vibes and sunshine

This week, we took “getting out of the house” one step further. We reinstated our annual picnic. It’s a time when participants and staff from various centers come together to celebrate sunshine and have fun. This year’s theme was Hawaiian and we had two different dance troupes perform for our participants. A local group known as Wahine U’i joined us at the San Leandro Marina while Káne Hula performed for participants at the Lafayette Reservoir. The oldest dancer was 95!

A milestone

“It was so great to see everybody and the weather was perfect,” said one participant. So many others agreed. Attending this picnic is a real milestone for all the seniors who have been sheltering at home for the last eighteen months. Because of the great coordination from multiple departments, CEI seniors were able to get out and be with their friends.  

Safety first

100% of our staff are vaccinated and all of the participants who came are also protected by vaccinations. In addition, everyone’s temperature was checked on arrival at the picnic and all wore masks, just like at our social centers. Balancing safety with our participants’ well-being is at the core of PACE. We balance life goals with health and safety every single day and create care plans around what matters most to participants.

Held during mid-September, the picnics were a celebration of resilience as attendees caught the last pinch of warm summer weather. Everyone who attended was excited to see their friends and celebrate life – it was a blessing to be able to picnic in the middle of a pandemic.