By Megan Wehring
One in four adults ages 65 and older reported anxiety or depression in August 2020, due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. To put the depression and anxiety at ease, Aging is Cool came up with a solution.
Aging is Cool partnered with Heart and Soul Care to launch a virtual one-stop-shop calendar of events and interactive experience, called A Mighty Good Time, for older adults.
To help older adults stay strong, smart and social, Amy and Damien Temperley founded Aging is Cool in 2017. Amy Temperley worked with seniors for about 30 years, while Damien was a fitness instructor. They noticed a wide gap in the community for interesting and engaging activities for older adults.
To serve everyone, Aging is Cool has both a for-profit and nonprofit side. Some programs are offered in the community solely based on donations and grants.
Launching A Mighty Good Time during a pandemic was a good fit, Amy explained.
“Older adults have been experiencing social isolation before the pandemic,” Amy said. “Now, people are sitting at home. They are inactive, there’s nothing to do and they don’t know where to go to look for things to do.”
While the original concept around the website was to provide live, in-person activities, about 99% of them are now virtual due to concerns of the pandemic. Amy said the virtual element has allowed a diverse group of people to join.
“It has really allowed people to access activities from all over the country, or all over the world for that matter,” Amy said. “So we’ve got people from England and Australia who are actually Zooming in to engage in activities that are happening in Texas.”
Amy said her favorite part about this partnership is working to fill the gaps in services for older populations.
“For so long, this population has been neglected,” Amy said. “Especially in the Central Texas corridor because we think about this being a young community. The reality is — we are the fastest growing older adult population in the country. Everybody is coming here to retire here because it’s a great area.”
Younger generations are encouraged to spread the word and find alternative ways to provide support, including taking up a caregiver position or donations. Older adults can find activities and events in their area by tuning in to updates on the A Mighty Good Time Facebook page or directly on their website at https://www.amightygoodtime.com/.
