A common myth in today’s culture is that the elderly do not know how to use technology and have no interest in using technology. There may be aspects of technology that are of little interest to certain populations, but to take an entire topic like technology and make an stereotype about it regarding the elderly is ridiculous. When I was CNA and home caregiver to a 93 year old woman, she knew the in’s and out’s of her iPad, swiping along between Facetime with her grandkids and a host of games such as solitaire. There is no age limit to learning, including when it comes to technology.
One of the topics about technology that nurses should be teaching our elderly patients (and all patients for that matter), is the credibility and validity of health information on the internet. Websites that end in .gov, .edu, or have a hospital’s name in the URL tend to be more reliable in their information. Examples of these websites include:
Going back to the story of my client who used her iPad – providing tablets for elderly to communicate with their loved ones is a great tool, especially during these times of social distancing and isolation. Whether the elderly person is a patient in the hospital or is living at a nursing home, having a tablet for use with the elderly can promote social interaction and help fight depression. By encouraging the use of technology, we can bridge the physical distance an elderly person may be experiencing with their family.
Here is a news report on youtube about a couple women who donated iPads to nursing homes in order for the residents to maintain contact with their family during the corona virus.
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