Evaluating California’s Digital Connections Program

An older woman sits on her couch and uses her tablet.

Problem

The California Department of Aging wanted to understand the effect of the Digital Connections program, which uses digital tools to reduce isolation.

As part of California’s Master Plan on Aging, which set a goal of decreasing isolation among older adults, the California Department of Aging launched the Digital Connections Program in 2023 to close the digital divide among older adults and adults with disabilities in California. Digital Connections offered free devices and internet plans to older adults and people with disabilities who did not already own a mobile device. Priority was given to adults who had low incomes or otherwise had the greatest economic and social need. This was the first large-scale program in the United States to do this.

To understand how county and local programs distributed devices and how effective they were at decreasing social isolation, improving connections, and increasing the self-confidence of older adults and adults with disabilities throughout the state, the program included a mandatory program evaluation as one of its goals.

Solution

NORC conducted a mixed-mode interim evaluation of the Digital Connections program.

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience researching the social and economic dynamics of aging in the United States, NORC developed and implemented a mixed-mode, qualitative and quantitative evaluation to help the California Department of Aging assess the program’s impact on older adults and adults with disabilities. Our evaluation highlighted both successes and challenges encountered during program implementation. NORC conducted in-depth interviews with department leadership and digital literacy training vendors, web surveys with county and local agency program managers that disseminated iPads, and web and phone surveys in multiple languages with digital device recipients.

Result

Our findings informed the California Department of Aging’s efforts to support older adults and adults with disabilities.

NORC analyzed the data and summarized the findings so that the California Department of Aging could understand what worked well and where improvements were needed to have the greatest impact on the lives of older adults and adults with disabilities in California. Findings included:

Some agencies need support to identify adults with the greatest need.
Program flexibility was important because of the diversity in California’s geography, demographics, and adults’ needs.
Existing or new partnerships with community organizations supported outreach and implementation.
Collecting, distributing, and sharing training materials and resources helps with limited resources and time.
For adults who received the digital device, there were reductions in social isolation and loneliness, improvements in health and well-being, and improvements in access to reliable internet. They also built relationships with local and county services and other adults in their community and learned how to use technology.
Thousands of devices and internet plans were distributed.