Introduce Your Elderly Parents To Technology To Help You Stay Connected
Even though you might not have lived with your parents for many years, there is still no reason why you can’t remain close. Technology has made it easier than ever to connect to our loved ones on a regular basis. But despite how much simple it could make their life, many elderly parents still aren’t using new technologies. This is often because they find them confusing or aren’t sure how to use them. So as their child, it’s up to your to introduce them to this technological world. This can help you to maintain your bond with each other and may even help you to become closer. So here are three pieces of technology you should introduce to your elderly parents today.
Introducing your parents to Facebook can be one of the most rewarding things you ever do. It gives them an opportunity to get quick updates from you and your family through photos and posts. They can also use it to reconnect with old friends from school or make new ones. Your parents will need to have an internet connection and a computer to access Facebook regularly. So help them organize these things if they don’t have them already. Once they have the essentials, help them set up a profile and add you as a friend on Facebook. This will be exciting, and they will look forward to checking it each day to see what you’ve been up to.
Skype
In addition to Facebook, why not also introduce your elderly parents to Skype. This video calling service is a fantastic way of being able to see each other even when you are miles away. You can schedule a weekly Skype session where you can share news and catch up with each other. If you have kids, it’s also a chance for them to see their grandparents on a more regular basis.
Again, your parents will need the internet and a smartphone or computer to access Skype. When this is sorted, you can show them how to make a call or leave them instructions to follow. This is bound to be the highlight of their week and yours too.
Hearing Impaired Phones
Talking on the phone is probably your favored way of communicating with your parents. But this can be made difficult if they can’t hear well or have difficulty using their house phone. Not being able to talk to you like they once did, can be incredibly frustrating for your parents. So to help them with this issue, why not buy them hearing impaired phones for their home. These devices use technology that includes closed captioning, speaker phone functions and enlarged buttons.
Some of them can even be used without the removal of hearing aids too. Install the new phones for your parents and show them how to use all the functions. This will give them the confidence they need to call you, their friends or their doctor if they need to.
By introducing technology to your parents, you can make your parents lives that bit easier. Just try not to overwhelm them with too much all at once. Take your time and let them grasp one thing before moving onto the next.