Whether you have a loved one who is living in an assisted living community or simply reaching retirement age with plans to continue living at home, watching the people close to us age can be sad and scary. Luckily there is a lot you can do to help, and new technologies can make things even easier! Here are 3 simple ways technology can be used to help the elderly people in your life.
Setting Reminders
When people reach retirement age, sometimes their memories start to slow down and don’t work as well as they did when they were much younger. This is not always an indicator of Alzheimer’s or dementia, though sometimes it is. The good news is that with smartphones, tablets, computers, etc. it is easier than ever before to set reminders for all of the things they need to do throughout the day that they may otherwise forget— such as important stuff like doctor’s appointments or taking certain medications.
Some elderly folks don’t know how to use their phones well, so offer to give them a little tutorial and make sure they know how to set alarms so that this is something they will do even when you’re not around.
Virtual Appointments
These days, many medical appointments (and other types of appointments) can be done entirely virtually in an online space. All your elderly loved ones will need to attend their appointments virtually is a computer, laptop, tablet, or phone, and access to the internet.
Logging into video chats can sometimes be a bit tricky for them, so offer to help get it set up for them. If they are able to go to some of their appointments online, this will not only save them time but will also reduce the stress of having to worry about finding a ride!
Keeping In Touch
Keeping in touch with friends and family members both near and far is easier than ever now with recent advances in technology. This goes for people of all ages but is especially helpful for retired and elderly folks. During the pandemic, many people in assisted living facilities were not allowed to have visitors and they got very lonely during that time.
Being able to call their loved ones or video chat them helped them to stay feeling connected. It’s also great because sometimes distance alone keeps us from traveling to see our people as often as we’d like. Being able to see and hear them on a screen is often the next best thing, and for older folks, a simple video call can really mean the world.
So as you can see, tech can be very helpful for elderly people. You may have to teach them how to use some gadgets at first, but it will be worth it because, in the long run, this stuff can help to improve their lives on so many levels.