Over the past couple of decades, technology has become so integrated with our everyday lives. For those who are not used to it, the pace of technological advancements can be a scary and intimidating experience. and for seniors, it’s normal to hesitate to jump on the bandwagon. Despite that, safety, social connection & convenience are just a few positive benefits of modern technology and the use of it can drastically improve the quality of life for seniors.
Safety
Advancements in technology have reduced the feelings of stress in families with seniors and much of the technology available today can help offer both seniors and their families peace of mind. For example, every basic smartphone has the ability to help seniors monitor and share information like their medication use, heart rate, and location.
Social Connection
Staying socially engaged is just as imperative to our health as maintaining a healthy body. According to Caregiver Stress, while no technology can take the place of in-person human interaction, video chat services or internet-based communication channels such as email and social media can supplement seniors’ social interactions. This is especially important when visits with friends and family aren’t possible or too infrequent.
Convenience
Thanks to modern technology, our way of life has become drastically easier. Whether it’s to grocery shop, look up how-to videos or even have our groceries delivered, our way of life has significantly improved for the better. In addition, technology also provides ways for our mental acuity to stay sharp. Seniors can enjoy games such as Tetris (spatial recognition), Trivial Pursuit (fact recall), or Mahjong (memory and matching). These resources are at the tip of our fingers, literally!
Although technology has become an instrumental part of modern life, it can be challenging at first. By embracing and becoming comfortable with modern technology we can help ensure increased safety and wellbeing.