Whether you are a senior yourself or you are helping to care for one, or you would just like to help an older friend out, technology can be extremely difficult for seniors since it is not something they grew up using. It can be downright confusing and frustrating, yet nevertheless, it’s a reality in today’s world and a necessary skill.
Unfortunately, seniors may feel lost in a sea of gadgets, codes, and strange terminology. So, if you are able to, you should try to teach all of the senior citizens in your life to use technology properly for their own benefit.
From learning about car financing options to keeping in touch with loved ones, technology can enrich their lives in many ways. If you need a little help knowing where to get started, here are 3 simple tips for helping seniors with technology.
Make A Game Of It
There are ways that you can make learning technology fun for any senior in your life, and one of those ways is to make a little game of it. Much like you can teach children things such as the alphabet, sounds animals make, or basic mathematics by making a fun game out of it, seniors can learn in the same way. Memory care for seniors can be very important, so why not make a memory game to help them understand tech the way that they want to? There are many helpful ideas on the internet if you are unable to come up with your own.
Build Up Their Confidence
One of the most difficult things when it comes to senior citizens and tech is that they can start to lose their confidence since they aren’t used to all of the nuances of this day and age. Learning how modern-day processes work can feel like having to re-learn life again which can be humbling.
You can help combat this by boosting their confidence and telling them they can do it. Make sure they know that tech isn’t easy for anyone and that it took you a long time to learn as well. Show them how far they’ve come by bringing up different things they have already learned, and they will begin to see that they are fully capable of learning even more.
Enroll Them In A Class
If you are not tech-savvy yourself, you may need an extra hand in helping your elderly loved one with technology. Consider enrolling them in a basic course at your local community college or tech store so that they can learn more and be around others who are also learning different types of tech.
There are so many classes offered so there will likely be an option that will work perfectly for you. The best part is that so many of these classes are free, and any senior you know will have a great time taking them.
Helping seniors with technology doesn’t have to be stressful and in fact it can be fulfilling and a good bonding exercise. Hopefully these tips can help you out.
