Pleasanton Student Collects Cameras To Keep Elderly Connected

PLEASANTON, CA — Many seniors report feeling especially lonely as many Americans are spending more at home during the coronavirus pandemic. An Amador Valley High School student seeks to change that.

Sophomore Tanya Bakshi has teamed up with nonprofit TeleHeath Access for Seniors to collect gently used devices with cameras to ensure seniors make it to virtual doctor appointments and stay in touch with their family members, Pleasanton Unified School District said in its newsletter. She was spurred to act after teaching her grandmother, who was becoming bored while staying home, to use an iPad, the district said.

“Your old devices may have lost their connections, but someone else can use them to make new ones," the nonprofit says on its website.

Prior to the pandemic, research found that four in 10 seniors regularly feel lonely, according to the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration. Loneliness can increase a senior's mortality risk by 45 percent.

Many seniors say they're feeling especially lonely these days.

To combat that problem and keep seniors as healthy as possible, TeleHealth Access for Seniors have teamed up with 325 volunteers across 26 states and raised $100,000, according to its website. Some 2,000 devices have been donated.

To donate a device, contact Tanya at tanyasribakshi@gmail.com. To volunteer, visit telehealthforseniors.org.