New Tricks For An Ageing Population
“Life is digital”. So says Michele Berner, IT trainer and author of Unleash the Power of Your iPad. She explains to seniors in a YouTube video how to become tech savvy using an iPad. But why do the aged need instruction like this? It all seems odd somehow. You would think that someone with so many years of experience would know much more than the young whippersnappers. The obvious answer is that the aged among us don’t have near the digital experience of their grandchildren.
Perhaps it’s because they can’t be bothered to spend hours learning how the bloody digital contraptions work, and would rather do other things with their time. But seniors are gradually finding the benefits of the online community. And their caregivers are finding tools to help them in their selfless duties.
The Elderly Go Digital
The app economy is here. Those of you who are mobile app developers know full well that this digital bonanza is not ending any time soon. According to Statistica.com, as of the first quarter of 2018, there were 3.8 million apps in Google Play and 2 million in the Apple App Store. The number of smartphone users is expected to reach 2.87 billion in 2019. And you can be sure that many senior citizens will be among them.
Part of the reason is that they are finding that getting on the digital bandwagon will improve their lives. According to the Economist, “Technology holds great promise to make life better for the elderly, enabling them to retain their independence and live full lives for longer.” The article, entitled “New Technology for Old Age”, discusses two broad developments that could have an impact on the elderly: the smart home and the on-demand economy. They describe smartphone apps involving cars, grocery deliveries, and handymen as “technological elves”.
These and other services may be why a 2017 Pew Research Center studyfound that four in ten seniors now own smartphones. And that number has doubled since 2013.
Apps for Seniors
So what sort of applications may be of interest to older smartphone users? The subject was so interesting to senior Gary Jones that he co-wrote a book on the subject, My iPad for Seniors. He spoke about his findings to the AARP Spring 2014 Life@50+ National Event and Expo. It turns out that seniors like to use many of the same apps as the younger folk. But there’s more. In a YouTube video from the event, Jones talks about the freedom of retirement. He compares it to other milestones in his life, like getting his driver’s licence.
According to Jones, the digital life is empowering for those no longer tied to a 9–5 job. There are so many areas where smartphone apps can lead to a fuller retired life:
● Travel
● Food
● Books
● Communication
● Music
● Podcasts
● Entertainment
The apps may be the same as those used by everyone, but Jones describes how they fit into the daily life of someone over 65. If someone were wondering what kinds of apps a senior might want, it might help to consider what a retired person does. With the benefit of free time, those who can afford it may love to travel. Apps that can book planes, trains, and automobiles come to mind. Seniors go out to eat, and can take advantage of apps that compare restaurants. And many aged enjoy interaction with distant family members over social media apps. In the new digital world, they have all of this at their fingertips.
Healthcare Apps
One area of smartphone applications that is more specific to the elderly, however, is healthcare. Developers who want to target seniors should be keenly aware of these needs and how they can help meet them with technology. These apps could be placed into two categories: those for the elderly person, and those for their caregiver.
Seniors can benefit from apps that help them take care of themselves. Such an app might help them track blood pressure, heart rate, weight, or some other health metric. It might help them manage their daily medicine or their prescription orders. And some apps are aimed at training the brain and keeping the mind active.
Caregivers, to be sure, could use all the help they can get. There are apps that use wireless tags to track a person’s location. Some apps can notify emergency personnel in case of some problem. Analyst Laurie Orlov says, “We’ve entered the era of low-cost, miniaturized, technological capabilities that enable smarter caregiving and greater independence.”
Conclusion
Everybody has needs and desires. Smartphone apps that focus on those of the elderly should be more than user friendly. They should offer enough that a senior or his caregiver will overcome any tech fears that may possess them. Otherwise they won’t be bothered. You really can teach an old dog new tricks, but only if he really wants to learn them.
