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78-year-old Northeast Ohio widow signs up for grocery delivery instead of vaccine
Her trouble indicative of problems many seniors experience
78-year-old Northeast Ohio widow signs up for grocery delivery instead of vaccine By Vic Gideon | March 3, 2021 at 2:56 PM EST - Updated March 4 at 10:33 AM
AKRON, Ohio (WOIO) - Lee Freund didn’t want to involve her grown children in her efforts to sign up for the vaccine.
“I didn’t want to burden them and I didn’t want them to think I was stupid,” Freund said.
Freund, a 78-year-old widow, tried to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine shot, but got grocery delivery instead, highlighting problems some older Americans have getting vaccinated.
Annette Carlin feels trapped.
Before the pandemic, Carlin, who is 84, loved to go on walks in Novato, California, with her grandchildren and dance at the senior center. Since March, though, she has been stuck indoors. She has been eager to sign up for a vaccine and begin returning to normal life.
But booking an appointment has been a technological nightmare. Carlin cannot afford to buy a computer and would not know how to navigate the internet in search of a shot even if she could. While members of her family might be able to help her there, she avoids seeing them as a safety precaution.
Ohio woman, 78, tries to register for a vaccine appointment and accidentally signs up for grocery delivery as senior citizens face series of confusing web pages when booking COVID shots
Lee Freund, 78, of Ohio, was trying to register for COVID-19 vaccine appointment when she accidentally signed up for a grocery delivery
Freund said she called hospitals and pharmacies for help but was directed to a series of confusing web pages When you re alone, it s frustrating, it s overwhelming, and it s very emotional, Freund, whose husband died last year, said
She secured an appointment after seeking help from the Area Agency on Aging
Seniors Seeking Vaccines Have a Problem: They Canât Use the Internet
Older adults living alone often lack access or an understanding of technology, and many are unsure how to sign up for an appointment.
With the pandemic curtailing in-person interactions, the stark digital divide between generations has become more apparent.Credit.Christian Sorensen Hansen for The New York Times
Annette Carlin feels trapped.
Before the pandemic, Ms. Carlin, who is 84, loved to go on walks in Novato, Calif., with her grandchildren and dance at the senior center. Since March, though, she has been stuck indoors. She has been eager to sign up for a vaccine and begin returning to normal life.