The coronavirus pandemic has affected thousands of seniors worldwide, with many of the social distancing, self-isolating, or in quarantine for the past few months. Have you been impacted too? Whether you live in a residential aged care home or in your own home independently, the thought of not being able to see your loved ones regularly can be difficult.
Want to beat the COVID-19 blues? You can stay connected with your family and friends by using technology. If you don’t know-how, you can learn at home by joining an online computer course or a seniors computer club.
Learning new tech skills
You can learn new tech skills and keep in touch with loved ones during isolation by joining clubs. Many computer clubs are free and send out step-by-step packages to help members learn how to use the computer and the internet from homes, such as communicating via social media, email, and more.
Of course, this also means that older people who rarely or never used technology before have to step outside their comfort zones and learn tech skills if they want to stay connected with others in an era of social distancing and lockdowns.
For example, due to COVID-19 restrictions, a 75-year-old senior named Irene couldn’t see her grandkids as often as she used to even though they lived only a short distance away. So she decided to join the computer club and learned how to Skype her grandkids and other relatives. Other senior citizens also reached out for help from the club and are now able to get online and use the new technology. A lot of them have taken up the Skype option to chat with family and friends because maintaining a connection is important.
For Irene, she said she’d continue learning new tech skills after the COVID-19 lockdown. She recommends to anyone that’s older to try and use software apps like Skype, especially if you want to keep in touch with your family.
Learning how to use technology during the lockdown is also important for seniors looking for love. Online dating sites and apps allow you to safely talk to people without having to meet in person, require less time to find a potential partner than other methods, and provide discretion. What’s more, almost 3 in 5 seniors have used dating sites/apps, and 3 in 5 believe dating is easier now due to technology.
Technology during lockdown is also ensuring telehealth and telemedicine is being embraced like never before. There has been a shift toward virtual care as a result of the pandemic, with a huge percentage of patient consultations and teletherapy happening online. Teletherapy and telehealth have many benefits for seniors, from reducing medical and travel costs to improving access to care wherever seniors need it.
Seniors teach seniors
Older people tend to be nervous about modern technology and social media and find it hard to learn, so many computer clubs have specific courses for seniors. With Ms. Davies being a senior herself, she needs to learn how to use technology at her own pace, so sending out the step-by-step instructions helped some people considerably.
This means that as a senior learning new tech skills for the first time, you can take it at your own pace and also ask whatever you like. “There are no stupid questions because everybody is the same,” says Ms. Davies.
Adopt technology to stay connected
For many, solo living to stay safe from the deadly virus is important, but so is staying socially connected in order to maintain a good sense of health and well-being. And technology like computer apps can help you do just that.
It’s a useful and fun tool for seniors in social isolation, i.e. from FaceTiming with family members to dinner parties over video conferencing platform Zoom. You can even cook remotely with your family over Zoom. What’s more, technology can help you retain your independence and stay living in your own home despite the coronavirus pandemic, so adopt technology today.