Whether downloading information on a hobby, looking at e-mailed photos on the patio, using video games as a rehabilitation tool or reading a book on an e-reader, seniors now more than ever are plugged into technology, say residents and officials at area senior living communities.
Kimberly Perkins, CEO of Littlefork Medical Center, said that although technology can be intimidating to some seniors, LMC staff have found that fun, intergenerational activities have broken through the barrier that otherwise may have formed to certain activities.
“Technology can be scary for all of us,” Perkins said. But positive experiences with technology pique the continued curiosity of her residents, she said.
Danette Nixon, senior living manager for River’s Edge Villa, agreed that positive experiences have sparked interest, while challenges have caused others to lose interest or become frustrated with technology.
Both agreed that the interaction with others, including staff at the centers and family, are motivating factors for many of the seniors to get more involved with technology.
Nixon said that many of her residents have become more tech-savvy than those in younger generations.
“I’m learning from my tenants, too,” she said. “Some of them can really teach the rest of us.”
However, she said, interaction with area youth as well as children and grandchildren have been important to bridge the knowledge gap that can exist for those who did not grow up with gadgets.
“Kids are so darn good at it, they don’t even have to think about it,” she said.
Technology use
One of the ways in which her residents have used technology in growing numbers over the past several years is purchasing and reading books on Kindle, Nook and other e-readers. She said not only is it easy for residents to purchase a variety of books right from their home, but those with vision problems can easily change the size of text to ease any strain.
With storage space at a premium, Villa resident Marge Hayward said a Nook e-reader gave her the ability to have many books with her anywhere, and in a compact format.
“It’s very convenient. I carry it around with me everywhere I go,” she said.
She said it is easier for her to handle when reading in a variety of places, including resting in bed.
River’s Edge Villa resident Carroll Thureen has taken an interest in technology one step further and regularly uses an iPad. He said he enjoys sitting in the shade on the facility’s deck and using the tablet’s applications and other functions.
Among its benefits is enlarging text and listening to downloaded audio books and videos. The only downside, he joked, was that The Count of Monte Cristo was something like 4,000 pages in the large type on the device. He also has nine Beethoven symphonies on the iPad and enjoys listening to them with headphones while spending time on the facility’s patio.
While in his apartment, he uses a computer, he said, mainly to write his life’s story and to check e-mail.
Several of the residents at the senior independent living facility have computers of their own in their apartments, Nixon explained. In addition, two computers are available in common rooms for use by residents.
“It’s really neat to see how savvy they are,” she said.
She said examples of things she has seen the seniors doing include researching hobbies and interests, finding more about their ancestry, shopping for items they cannot easily pick up in town and communicating with friends and family members.
Skype calls with family and emailed photographs of grandchildren provide a new, immediate line of communication beyond phone calls which was not seen in decades past, both Perkins and Nixon said.
“The possibilities are endless,” Nixon said of uses for the Internet by these seniors. “It helps keep you young.”
Lorraine Carlson, River’s Edge Villa resident, was checking Facebook updates the day The Journal visited with a group of residents. She said she was expecting word and photos from the birth of a new great-grandchild in Rochester.
She uses the popular social networking site to see the posts her friends and family share, but said she hasn’t yet begun participating in the dialogue.
“Now I know what I want for my birthday,” joked Carlson after hearing the stories of Hayward and Thureen with the e-reader devices.
“I still don’t think I need it,” she said of the computer her family prompted her to set up in her apartment. “But I’m enjoying it.”
Ruth Hostetter said one of her primary uses of the computer is practical — finding medical information from websites such as that run by the Mayo Clinic. Computer software to create and print greeting cards has also provided a method for Hostetter to remember special occasions for fellow Villa residents, friends and family. She has also compiled information on family history using the Internet.
Perkins said that at her facility, residents have begun using the Nintendo Wii video game system in short-term rehabilitation programs. The interactive software helps with muscle use and balance, she explained, among other benefits.
Perkins said she has seen that physical impairments such as hand dexterity have made some seniors choose to opt-out of technology. But, she said, staff are more than willing to assist the residents and even perform the controls.
Two of the LMC residents regularly check e-mail and have their own laptops, Perkins said. Getting pictures of children and grandchildren has been a popular reason for continued use of computers, she said.
Some of her resident’s favorites activities is using YouTube to hear some of the music that was popular when they were younger. She said listening to the songs they danced to at their wedding brought back old memories.
“Their face just lights up,” Perkins said. “Those are the moments that make technology great.”
Bonus Section in today’s edition
Mature Living offers stories and information for seniors. Some topics include:
• Tips to leading a heart-healthy lifestyle
• Nursing homes embrace culture change
• 6 tips to consider when planning for retirement
