Are you helping to maintain and secure a computer for your aging parent? Do you find yourself spending lots and lots of time explaining why NOT to click on a button or an update screen, even when windows seem to swoop in and personally invite a user to click (or worse download)? Here is an … Continue reading
Filed under Seniors and Lifelong Learning …
Scams and Seniors: Redux
I cannot get Rachel from Credit Card Services to stop calling me. She has such a lovely voice, and she always tells me that there is no problem with my credit card. But then she continues on, encouraging me to talk to one of her colleagues about lowering credit card interest rates. Moreover, it will … Continue reading
Still Learning at Age 88: Reading the Language of Life
My dad is an ardent lifelong learner. Here’s recent post from his private family blog. At the Eastern Mennonite University bookstore students and faculty have exclusive access for the first two weeks of the semester. Shortly thereafter, the store’s stacks are opened up to the public. So several of us from the retirement community next door, … Continue reading
Things We Take for Granted Used to be New!
A humorous, but pithy reminder for everyone — adults, adult children, and seniors — everything we routinely use and take for granted was new at one time or another. The video is a Norwegian Broadcasting Network comedy presentation. Enjoy!
Some New iPad for Dad Readers?
Check out this Wall Street Journal blog post, A Look at iPad Users. The story shares iPad ownership stats, recently released by ComScore, including a terrific graphic that depicts iPad sales by age group. Notice the statistics for age 65 and older and then add those iPad sales to the stats for the group just below, age … Continue reading
Grandparents, Parents, Grandchildren: Family Blogging?
How would digital literacy and behavior improve if more families saw blogging as a way to communicate, share, and connect with extended family members, as well as teach children, parents, and grandparents the basics about global communication? Would they be thrilled that their younger family members had a big head start developing digital citizenship skills? … Continue reading
SeniorTech: Nothing to Fear but Fear …
Many of us find ourselves helping senior parents with technology. These days it goes hand-in-hand with even the most moderate caregiving assistance. Read Seniors Have Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself, a post by Jamie Carracher over at the Aging Online blog. Carracher points out that most seniors want to learn as much as they … Continue reading
Why We Will Pay for the Digital NY Times
Posts on As Our Parent Age sometimes recommend or feature links to New York Times articles. For complicated topics, articles from the Times as well as other newspapers may provide background or additional information, adding texture to a post (as do other newspaper stories). It’s been many years since we’ve had a paper edition of the New York … Continue reading
Senior Parent Tech Support-Advice I Wish I’d Discovered Ages Ago
This New York Times article, Five Tips for Helping Parents With Technology, provides some helpful tips for people who are troubleshooting the computers of senior parents. Gadgetwise blog reporter Paul Boutin offers common sense suggestions that can simplify over-the-phone family tech support, and it’s my view that you should consider following these ideas almost to the … Continue reading
As We Age: Keeping In-Touch with Tech Changes
A couple of weeks ago in my post, A Gardening Product for Everyone but Great for Seniors, I wrote about a gardener’s product that I discovered — one that was modular and light-weight, thus making it easier for me to continue creating flower and herb gardens without all of the heavy lifting. The product was … Continue reading
Holiday Gifts: Buying an iPad for Your Senior Parent?
If you like this post, read some of the other descriptions of our Father/Daughter iPad adventure. iPad for Dad, #1, iPad for Dad, #2, iPad for Dad, #3, iPad for Dad, #4, iPad for Dad, #5, iPad for Dad, #6, iPad for Dad, #7, iPad for Dad, #8, iPad for Dad, #9, iPad for Dad, #10, iPad for Dad, #11, iPad for Dad, … Continue reading
iPad for Dad, #16: Maps
Last weekend I visited my dad, and we had only a bit of time to enjoy the iPad together. However, quite by accident we started playing with the map application. I turned on the location part of the map program and then showed my father how look over maps of his neighborhood and town. Next … Continue reading
Guest Post: Adult Child Develops iPad Apps for Senior Mom
Paul Rhoades is an adult child and a subscriber to As Our Parents Age. He keeps an eye on his 90-year-old mother and has introduced her to the iPad. I’ve looked at his apps, developed to help her use the iPad more effectively, but I have not been anywhere near my dad’s iPad so I have not … Continue reading
Internet Cafe in Philly Senior Center
A senior center in Philadelphia recently used United States Recovery Funds to renovate its dining room, make it green friendly, and add an Internet cafe with connected laptops. Lots of enthusiastic elders, who have been enjoying meals for years, are thrilled with the new dining facilities and eager to connect. Tutoring will be available for … Continue reading
iPad for Dad, # 14: A Report from Dad
When my daughter and son-in-law provided this iPad, it was with the knowledge and recognition that I never honed my computer skills to my satisfaction. Nevertheless, I made significant strides using a laptop and writing paragraphs of opinion over the years. The laptop, while useful, could be complex. The iPad is not. I have been … Continue reading
iPad for Dad #13, Keyboard Update – Next Step Printing
My Dad now uses his iPad keyboard to write on the yellow note pad multiple times each day. Sometimes he just writes, but at other times he taps the letter icon and send his writing off, via e-mail, to a family member or friend. I have received a number of these compositions and get a thrill … Continue reading
Bloomberg News Features iPad for Dad!
… and other seniors, too. In an August 5, 2010 article, This Is Your Grandfather’s iPad as Japan Elderly Embrace Apple, two Bloomberg News reporters, Pavel Alpeyev and Yoshinori Eki, mention the As Our Parent Age iPad for Dad series. The piece has an international focus, describing how the iPad is becoming popular with seniors in Japan, … Continue reading
iPad for Dad, #12 – Adding a Keyboard!
I strongly recommend adding a keyboard to a senior parent’s iPad if typing is important! Dad thinks it’s a “game changer.” Over the past three months he’s used his iPad in a variety of ways, but when he wants to type more than a word or two, he is frustrated by the iPad’s touch keyboard. I … Continue reading
PointerWare Review @ Transition Aging Children
Check out the post reviewing PointerWare at Transition Aging Parents. I was thinking about reviewing this amazing software, but Dale Carter beat me to it with her wonderful post. Dale describes the ease and functionality of the product as well as the steps she went through to set up PointerWare on her mother’s computer. She is … Continue reading
Interesting Senior Tech Training Advertisement
This unusual advertisement appeared at least twice in the Washington Post recently. The program, sponsored by the Jewish Council for the Aging in the suburban Maryland area, offers technology training to people 55 and older. While the look on the woman’s face was a bit of a turn-off when I first looked at it, people … Continue reading
As Our Parents Age So Do We 