Kathy and Rudy Tomasik met in Turkey in 1973. She was traveling with a friend whose husband worked with Rudy. Together, the four of them decided to visit Athens, Greece, for a quick getaway. For the Tomasiks, that week in Athens would become more than just a vacation.
“When we went to Athens Greece, we just loved it, the food, the people,” said Rudy Tomasik. “Everything was wonderful. And that's where we kind of fell in love.”
More than half a century later, the couple once again visited the ancient city where their relationship began. But they were able to do so without leaving a conference room in Albany. That opportunity came through a virtual tour provided by the Albany Guardian Society.
The Albany Guardian Society hosts free weekly virtual tours for seniors in the Albany area. Funded through the New York State Office for the Aging, the virtual visits take seniors everywhere from Croatia to Singapore to France. The tours are facilitated through DiscoverLive, a virtual tour company that provides a video link connection to a moderator and a tour guide, who walks through the city in real time.
Greg Olsen is the Director at the New York State Office for the Aging. He said tours like these are important to keep seniors engaged while also helping them explore the world.
“It's a lot of reasons why people can't travel. Maybe they don't have anybody, it's expensive, maybe they can't ambulate.” Said Olsen. “So, it's a great way to get people in the community together. So, it's kind of a gateway approach to combating isolation and loneliness.”
Olsen added that these tours also help combat isolation amongst seniors – which is a major public health concern. According to a 2023 report by the United States Surgeon General’s office, not having adequate social connection increases the risk of premature death by more than 60%.
For the Athens trip, seniors dined on Greek delicacies like Tzatziki dip, pita bread, and olive hummus as the tour guide led them through the streets of Athens. She quizzed them on the types of trees in the city as she showed them the National Library of Athens and explained the meaning behind the columns in the Academy of Athens.
After the tour ended, seniors milled about, eating hummus and talking about the trip they just took. Some remarked on the facts they learned; others talked about the architecture.
Mary Moller, the executive director of Albany Guardian Society, said this community-building and moment of connection is at the crux of the virtual tours.
“It's dignified and it's fun. Because what we know with older adults, maybe sometimes they can't do what they used to do, it doesn't mean they're still not valuable, and they want to have fun and explore and learn,” said Moller. “It gives them an opportunity to reminisce.”
Rudy Tomasik said the virtual tour gave the couple an accessible opportunity to return to a magical place.
“When Kathy and I were there in 7’3 we're we're walking around the Acropolis and the Parthenon…” said Tomasik. “…It just brought back a lot of different memories, a lot of good memories.”
