Why, why, why do I push technology on you and your aging loved ones? Well, the fact is that staying connected can provide a much higher quality of life for those in the above 50 aging market. Think about it. What if he or she had access to pre-loaded apps for diet and exercise monitoring or alerts for taking their medication? Would that improve their health? How about social media? Do you think that they might feel more connected to family members when they can see pictures and trade messages with them?
The truth is that our population is getting older and we need to find creative ways to help them to age gracefully. Luckily, the aging population is hungry for information and want to be engaged. Here are some specific ways you can help.
IPAD APPS
Believe it or not there are a bunch of apps recently released that are designed to help the above 50 market to age safely and happily. I recommend pre-loading them on an iPad that has little else so that it’s simple for your loved one to find the app they want.
- Web MD – Offers constantly updated information about how to maintain a healthy diet in a section called “The Healthy Target.”
- Pandora – Set up station based on your loved ones favorite music artists. Pandora will do the rest. When he or she clicks on a station, Pandora will find similar artist and play them automatically.
- Luminosity – This app offers clever memory games that help to keep a mind sharp.
- Park n Forget (Are you kidding me? I want this) – This app not only helps you remember where your car is parked, but also keeps track of the time left on the meter.
- Pillboxie – Reminds a user when to take what medication. It’s a lifesaver.
IPHONE APPS
An iPhone is a great resource for the above 50 market. It’s simple to use and the app store has tons of great apps that are easily downloaded and accessed. Here are just a few.
- Facetime – This allows the user to have a face-to-face conversation with just a simple phone call. It’s genius and will help your loved one to feel very connected.
- Find my iPhone – Pretty self-explanatory, except it also allows you to log on remotely and lock your iPhone.
- Silver Surf – This app permits the user to zoom in on his or her cell phone, adjust the contrast and set larger display buttons for everyday use.
- Blood Pressure Monitor – Allows the user to easily check and keep track of you blood pressure and weight over time. This information can than easily be sent directly to a health-care provider.
- Voice Reading – This app will read aloud texts, emails and information from the Internet. It’s very convenient.
As you can see there are so many apps for your aging loved ones to try. Though this barely scratches the surface, I wanted to be sure to illustrate the possibility that technology can greatly improved he quality of life for those in the Above 50 market. So take a few minutes to sit with your grandparent, parent, aunt or uncle and show them the technological ropes. You’ll be happy you did.
If you’re looking for additional resources on eldercare and related subjects go to www.strec.com
If you’d like to stay connected, you can find Toni Patillo on www.facebook.com/tonipatillo&associates, twitter: @tonipatillo and email: toni(at)tonipatillo(dotted)com(dotted)