Are seniors out of time? Are they in an era where they are obsolete? Are the technologies of the day too revolutionary for what they had in the prime of their lives? What can technology do for seniors, anyway?
Seniors today live in an age where the young holds powerful machines with which they can learn, communicate, earn, and pretty much do anything. And for some seniors, that norm may be too much. But technology is not limited to the young. The elderly have as much access to pocket computers as anyone else.
Here are five things that technology can do for seniors that are of tremendous benefit.
Benefits of Technology for Seniors
The thing about technology is, it does not choose who has access to it and who has not. Anyone willing to go through the learning curve can enjoy the full benefits of technology. The same convenience that everyone has is accessible to the seniors of society.
Communication
It is no secret that communication is a BIG deal when it comes to seniors. The elderly need their fair share of socialization. Taking away socialization from a senior’s life results in catastrophic damage to their physical and mental health.
Isolation and loneliness are two of the most dangerous occurrences to seniors (to anyone, even). These two are the standard links to depression, anxiety, and a whole lot of mental and physical degradation.
But with technology, a degree of that isolation and loneliness subsides. Technology helps increase the power of communication. Seniors can quickly contact their friends and family using even the oldest models of a smartphone.
They can reach their grandchildren every day. They can organize afternoon tea parties with their buddies. Or they can video chat with their friends if the distance is a problem.
With technology, communication is so much easier, even for seniors.
Learning Portal
Back in their day, seniors probably learned most of the things they now know through books. But times have changed. With the power of pocket computers and the internet, there is no limit to what anyone can learn.
Do you want to learn how to cook your favorite chicken masala? It’s an easy recipe. Do you like to learn how to cook your famous chicken masala? Again, it’s an easy recipe. Do you want to know how to maintain a garden? The knowledge is just a click and a scroll away. Do you like to learn a new language, a new hobby, or read an enjoyable book – you can find it all through a portal called a computer screen.
Technology has done wonders for personal education. And guess what? mental stimulation is as beneficial to seniors as exercise is. Mental stimulation helps keep the brain and mind healthy. It helps stave off mental decay such as dementia.
Health Care
“Health care? How can technology help seniors with health care? Doesn’t technology make people lazy and lethargic? Doesn’t computer screens hurt the eyes?”
There is a grain of truth to those claims – but only when technological use is unrestrained. But technology can be an excellent tool for helping seniors stay healthy. Here are a few ways how.
Medication reminders: an alarm is one of the most specific features of any smartphone. And besides smartphones, an actual alarm clock is considered technology. So setting up an alarm for medication reminders is a nifty trick to use technology for health care.
But aside from alarms, some apps are specifically made to remind seniors of their medications. These apps will tell you exactly what medication to take and when. So there is no need to be confused about which pills to take.
Infinite Love Homecare can help seniors set up their medication reminders. We can help them keep track of their medication and when to take them.
Real-time medication lists and medical history: the internet works in real-time. You can see the latest advancements in medicine as soon as it comes out. Plus, some doctors or hospitals like to keep their medication records updated constantly. So you can access your health history and test results almost instantly.
Using technology, seniors and their families have the necessary health info right in the palm of their hands.
Encourage exercise: how can technology encourage activity? With the proper use of tech, you can get more fit. There are a lot of paths anyone can take when using technology for exercise.
There are tons of fitness apps that design a fitness regime by curating exercises and generating a diet for your desired specific results. Then there are exercise videos on basically any video sharing platform. And perhaps the most unconventional method is playing video games that require movement.
In short, there is no shortage of options for you if you want to use technology for exercise and to get more fit.
Safety
Safety is so important. And perhaps that’s why safety is a huge aspect of a lot of technological devices. There are alarm systems, GPS, fire protection systems, and more. Even a simple keypad phone can help keep anyone safe.
Simply dialing three digits on the phone will make anyone have access to the police or an ambulance. But is there a specific technology designed for the elderly’s safety? Of course, there is!
A personal emergency response system or a medical alert system helps seniors request assistance from emergency responders just by pushing one button. This tech is so simple and effective, especially for seniors who live alone.
Fun
Everybody needs to have fun. It helps balance out stress, worries, or anxiety and adds bright colors to life. Also, It’s fun that technology is more accessible.
What technology can do can be easily transformed into fun. For example, calling family and friends can be fun. Organizing an afternoon tea party is fun. Having a video chat with your buddies can be fun.
There are many fun things you can do with technology – karaoke, games, learning how to paint, watching an entertainment movie, seeing a comedic film – the options are limitless.
Even at old age, fun is no less accessible, thanks to technology. Sure, seniors can’t do the fun activities they used to do in their youth. But a new kind of fun is open to them, thanks to technology.
Final Word
Technology is not just for the young. Everyone can use technology. Seniors can use technology to communicate with their friends and family, learn, keep themselves healthy and safe, and have fun. These five things, and more, are what technology can do for seniors.
