Gladys didn’t understand the appeal. Her friends had fancy phones which did all kinds of things besides make phone calls. They did their banking without leaving the building. Was that even safe? They got their groceries and other things delivered and talked to some weird guy called “Siri.” All these things scared and confused her, and she didn’t want any part of it.
90% of people over 65 in the U.S. and Canada use the internet in some form. Many are especially tech savvy. But can the other 10% benefit from the use of technology with some support?
- Facetime/Zoom/Skype
In his 90s, Glen had dementia and lived in long term care while his wife lived in an apartment in the same building. A sweet, loving couple, they had great family support, even from adult grandchildren. One of their grandsons was travelling in Europe and had been away for several months when the day of Glen’s birthday arrived. The family brought Glen and his wife into our family room, where an iPad sat on the coffee table. Glen looked with a bemused expression as they sat in front of it. “What’s this all about?” he said, but before anyone could answer, the screen blinked and their grandson’s face came on the screen.
“Happy birthday, Grandpa,” he said.
Glen cried.
2. Music
“Mom, what’s one of your favourite songs from your era?” 
Gladys didn’t have to think long. “I always loved the Anniversary Song by Al Jolson.”
As if speaking to the air, her son said, “Alexa, play the Anniversary Song by Al Jolson.”
Gladys looked to see who he was talking to, when the strains of her favourite music came out of a little disk on his desk.
“Well, I’ll be!” Gladys, tickled at how this worked, spent the afternoon asking and listening to the music she had danced to in her teens. A few weeks later, her son bought another Alexis to stay at her house.
3. Television
I’m not talking about mindless game shows or soap operas. But certain shows can bring back memories of an era gone by, or reminders of a career.
In my neighbourhood, I had several retired nurses. Nursing is one of those professions which is vastly different today than many years ago. One day I stumbled upon “Call the Midwife” and put it on the television in the lounge. Although the story takes place in post-war England, my ladies could relate to so much, and remained glued to the screen when the show was on. This could be the case for retired police officers, medical personnel, the military and other careers.
(A humorous aside. My desk was around the corner from the lounge. One day as I worked, I heard screaming coming from the lounge area. I dropped everything and ran down the hall, unsure what catastrophe awaited me. What I saw when I got there was several ladies starting at the screen, where someone was giving birth–hence the screaming. I dissolved into giggles, and the ladies looked up, wondering what was wrong with me!)
4. Shopping
Marion had always prided herself on buying special gifts for all occasions. They weren’t necessarily expensive, but perfect for the person receiving them. She used to comb the stores to find just the right thing. But now mobility and lack of energy made that difficult. But when her daughter sat down with her and the computer, they had so much fun looking through pictures of baby outfits for an upcoming shower and finding the perfect gift for a grandchild’s birthday. She couldn’t have done it alone, but with support she could maintain her “wonderful gift giver” status.
5. Audiobooks
Lisa’s sight made reading difficult, and she’d been an avid reader. Her family bought 
her a subscription to a service where she could get audiobooks on a regular basis. Every few weeks they picked out new books, sending the finished ones back. Soon she had a few friends who used the same service, and they shared book suggestions. They even formed a book club and talked about their favourites.
With a little support, even the 10% can benefit from technology.