Helping Bring Seniors Into The Digital Age
One of the biggest issues that many seniors, especially those who live alone, face is a sense of loneliness, and feeling out of touch with friends and family. Modern technology has made it easier than ever before for people to stay in touch, yet seniors often find that they simply don’t have the skills or computer savvy to figure it all out. Many of them feel that they are too old to learn, or that the technology will be too complicated for them to figure out, which simply isn’t the case.
You are never too old to start learning something new. It also helps that many community centers and local churches now offer basic computer courses for seniors. It is there that they can learn about email, instant messaging, and even setting up a Facebook page that allows them to instantly see photos and videos posted by friends and family. Once they see how simple it is to get up and running, they will quickly learn that a whole new world of communication is open to them. One live video call via Skype is usually enough to win most folks over.
Starting out with something easy is always a good idea. Some seniors may be resistant to change. They’ve always done things a certain way and might take some extra coaxing to try something new – but be patient. Once they have been introduced to all of the benefits that technology can provide, they will become as attached to their smartphone or iPad as your teenager. This could be with a basic mobile phone. There are now a number of different models that are made specifically for seniors, with bright displays and oversized numbers among the features. If you know a senior who loves to read, give them the gift of a Kindle e-reader, with a couple of books by their favorite author loaded in. Again, these are quite easy to learn and master, and will show that computers and digital devices are not that difficult to get started with.
Introduce seniors to an online computer class.
If you have a busy schedule that makes it hard to visit your parents as often as you like, opening new avenues of staying in contact can help keep the lines of communication open. Bringing seniors into the digital age can help promote an active mind, as well as making it easier for them to stay in contact with those that they love.