Why Should Seniors Embrace the Internet?

A large percentage of the elderly struggle to adapt to the fast-moving latest technological trends. If you are under the impression that your loved one should be more technologically savvy, you are not alone.

There are a huge number of benefits to educating the elderly about technology. From staying in touch to protecting them from financial abuse in nursing homes, here are some great reasons to give your elderly loved one some simple tech lessons.

Independence

By far the biggest benefit for an elderly person to learn about the internet and how it works is the independence it brings. With just a little bit of know-how, nursing home patients can learn how to order things off the internet, book days out and holidays, and connect with their families wherever they are in the world.

As many seniors feel disconnected from the rest of the world when living in a care home, it is important to give them every tool we can to avoid them feeling neglected.

Teaching them how to use Skype can be a really simple place to start. With just a few clicks, they can not only speak to loved ones but see them too. This can help them feel included in things like birthday parties and get-togethers.

Brain Exercise

Studies have shown that constantly learning new things and attempting challenging tasks, like learning how the internet works, can seriously decline the rate at which elderly patients develop Dementia.

With access to a computer, you give the patient access to a whole range of stimuli, from online puzzles to videos, to news articles. All of these are going to stimulate the brain, which has a myriad of benefits for patients.

If you are looking for tips on how to start teaching these things to your elderly loved ones or patients, here are some tips and tricks.

• Firstly, start by teaching them what a browser It is easy for us to overlook the complexity of what we do on our computers. A good analogy for teaching this is by telling them that the browser is like the car you use to get to where you want to go.
• Secondly, show them how to do a simple browser search. Explain how to open Google, then ask them a question that they do not know but have always wanted to. Often this is what impresses them the most, and this might be what sparks their interest the most.
• Finally, show them how to communicate. Show them how to log into their respective accounts. Email and Skype are good for absolute beginners, and Facebook is good if they show some competence.

We take the complex world of technology that we are plugged into every day for granted. For those who have not grown up looking at a computer screen, entering that world can be really difficult. The benefits, however, are immense, so next time you are looking for an activity to do with your loved one in a nursing home, why don’t you show them how to use a computer?