While the pandemic brought its share of challenges, older adults rose to these challenges often by expanding their use of technology. More bought smartphones and other devices and used them in new ways. More upgraded their Internet services. Whether it was having your first tele-health session, making online appointments for a vaccine, or staying safe by shopping, taking classes, watching movies, getting health information, or connecting with family and friends via the internet instead of in person, one effect of the pandemic has been to accelerate adoption of smart technology to improve our daily lives.
If you’re like me—and about half of older adults—we’d like to use these rapidly expanding smart technologies more effectively. When family and friends can not help make devices as useful as we all know they can be, there are free services by trusted organizations that can fill in. Here’s some you might look into:
Aging Connected created by OATS (Older Adults Technology Services) is sponsored by Humana and The Humana Foundation to help seniors get online and make broadband services affordable.
Cyber Seniors offers free technology help and training.
Generations On Line offers intuitive, visually easy to use online help.
My Learning and Senior Planet are AARP’s free online classes.
Get Set Up offers free online groups to share and learn, plus a hotline number [1-888-559-1614] where you can actually talk with a person to help you get started using their services. It’s also a place to volunteer to help others.
Regardless of demographics, online services are changing our lives for the better. At ALICEhelps, we have a mission to provide secure easy-to-use technology to improve your access to healthcare, putting you at the center of your care with innovative services within a safe, private role-based community that you control.