2020-03-16_amanda_MarchContent_Draft3_HomeCare_15March2020.docx

Housebound? Tech ideas for seniors
Article one / March 2020

COVID-19 has changed everything overnight – especially for seniors, who are disproportionately at risk. Even as we work hard to collectively flatten the curve, Québec’s gone one step further asking anyone over 70 to stay home unless absolutely necessary.

How can you support the loved ones in your life who are now more homebound than ever? Technology can help. Well before today’s pandemic, high-tech options were already offering seniors new ways of living well at home longer. Getting someone up and running on the right tools now can make a world of difference.

On a good day, loneliness is a major struggle for seniors. Stats Can says as many as 1.4 million elderly Canadians report feelings of loneliness. Eliminating existing connection points through social distancing can push loneliness into overdrive.

A simple video chat can ease loneliness fast. Almost 60% of Canadians over 65 own a smart phone and even better: 93% consider their phones easy to use. If you’re not already using video chat technology to keep in touch, now’s the time to start. So, share a virtual meal. Set up a time to talk about what you’re hearing in the news or how you’ve spent your days. Video chatting makes it possible to spend time together without being together.

Also, this: video chats reveal a wealth of visual cues that can help you understand how someone’s really doing. Are they dressed appropriately? How clean or organized does their room look? What’s their body language saying? You can tell a lot about your loved one’s well being – now, or later in a post COVID-19 world – by spending just a few minutes together via video.

Getting seniors using the technology in new ways can also do a lot for their general wellness. Using social technology (think email, social networking sites, online video/phone calls, online chatting/instant messaging, and smart phones) has been linked to better self-rated health, fewer chronic illnesses, higher subjective well-being and fewer depressive symptoms in seniors.

That makes sense. Picture your loved one watching an online cooking class for simple meals they can make on their own; virtually touring a far-away museum; or connecting with relatives overseas. Technology underpins connectedness and enables anyone trapped at home for any reason to maintain interests, learn something new, and feel like they’re part of a bigger community.

With six in 10 Canadians over the age of 65 already having a Facebook account, odds are your loved may be more tech savvy than you think. Spending a few minutes helping them deep dive into features or platforms they might not know about can help them explore new things, and be a good distraction from today’s sometimes scary headlines.

True, too, for empowering seniors with new apps that can help them feel safer and more secure. If you’re not already using apps to help seniors maintain their independence, this is a good opportunity to start.

Looking to turn a phone’s camera lens into a heart rate monitor that gives a reading in 10 seconds or less? No problem. Hoping for an app that reminds someone to take – and refill – their prescriptions while flagging potentially dangerous drug combinations? You got it. A ton of apps exist to help seniors monitor their health through technology. Many are built with the caregiver in mind, geared to send you updates or notifications. A made-in-Canada DementiaTalk app even allows you to track someone’s behaviour and adjust your care plan accordingly based on symptoms. Start by narrowing down where you’d like app support, and then checking out consumer or industry lists of top-rated options.

While you’re at it, don’t forget about smart home assistants. Whether you’re a Google Home fan, or an Amazon Alexa convert, this type of hands-free, voice-activated technology can be a good resource for a senior who’s stuck at home. From listening to the news and playing voice-activated games to more urgent uses (like asking the assistant to call a relative in an emergency), this can be a good bridge for anyone housebound.

You might also consider using the assistant to help the senior in your loved life order a new book or groceries while minimizing human interaction, and eliminating the need to leave the house.

Closing thoughts

There are a lot of unknowns today. As the situation evolves quickly, technology can help us navigate uncertainty, get what we need, and learn new ways of maintaining independence that are helpful now, and will remain so down the road. Assessing where your gaps are, and working back from there to the tech best suited to help can make a difference.

Facebook

COVID-19 is harder on seniors than most other groups. Enabling people with the right technology to cope can help them navigate these uncertain times from home, and prove useful once we emerge from this reality [link to Home Care website article]

Instagram

Staying home can be lonely and limiting for anyone – especially seniors now socially distancing to protect their health. Bridging the gap with the right tech tools can help. [bit.ly]

5 steps to using tech well
Article two / March 2020

Seeing the upside of technology is one thing. Helping someone effectively embrace it is another. More and more, we’re seeing the ways that technology can help seniors maintain their independence and live at home longer. Keeping these five factors in mind can help the senior in your life become more digitally-savvy in short order:

Change the narrative. Attitude is everything, and yours will impact theirs. Despite increasing numbers of older Canadians using the internet and smart-phones, trying new things can still be harder as we age. Ageist stereotypes about seniors’ competence and their learning abilities can actually diminish someone’s self-efficacy. That means if someone thinks we think they won’t be great with tech, they’re more anxious about adopting it. You can shake that up with a positive attitude. Read: leave the jokes behind, and lead with empathy.

Make them part of the conversation. For the most part, Canadian seniors believe technological advances can help older adults stay safe, independent and in their own home longer. Seven in 10 agree it can help them dial back social isolation, stay active, and better manage their health. Putting them in the driver’s seat to determine which technologies are the most interesting to them, and where they want to focus, can help build on that positive momentum. Remember: you don’t have to boil the ocean. Figuring out if someone’s most interested in a lifeline technology, the ability to attend a doctor’s appointment online, or simply playing a round of Scrabble through an online community can up the chance they’ll actually use it.

Start off on the right foot. Someone’s experience with technology will only be as good as the time you spend with them setting it up. Even if that means talking them through a new app or a home assistant by phone while we’re social distancing: you get out what you brief in. Try to condense instructions down to a simple process. Then, create a cheat sheet to be printed to remind someone of key details (i.e. use XX to order your book, try XX when you want to video chat with Aunt Sally, check out XX when you want to see the grandkids’ photos). Include passwords and simple reminders for trouble shooting.

Safety is everything. Senior citizens are the fastest growing population coming online. But don’t forget: things that seem like common sense aren’t necessarily table stakes for them. Having a basic conversation about internet scams (malicious software, phishing, etc.) in layman’s terms; providing a list of credible websites to use; helping them know the signs that a website is secure; outlining the info we should never share in the course of a game or contest; and empowering them to create solid passwords all count.

Above all, keep communicating. Ensuring the senior in your life feels they can come to you with questions or concerns without being embarrassed is really important. Just like monitoring a teenager’s internet and social media use, creating open and honest two-way dialogue (with zero judgement) can help you head potential trouble off at the pass. So, check in with them often, ask lots of questions, and get them to show you how they’re using technology from time to time.

Closing thoughts

Tech tools are only as powerful as the up-front work you do to tee someone up for success. Even if you can’t spend in-person time together right now, a phone call can help you set things up well. Continuing the conversation down the road can help you make sure things are on the up and up, empowering the senior in your life to make the most of technology.

Facebook

The way you set a senior up for success with technology comes down to the time you spend talking them through the ins and outs. From basic use to safety skills, knowledge is power – especially if seniors are hoping to make the most of technology while housebound. We’re offering five tips to help you help them use technology well.

Instagram

Tech is only as powerful as our ability to use it. This month, Home Care Assistance is sharing five steps to take as you set a senior up with the tools they need to live better at home – whether that’s while we’re socially distancing, or down the road. [bit.ly]

Newsletter headline to translate

Stuck at home? Tech for seniors and tips for using it well

Valentines
Photo with quick caption

Home Care Assistance Montreal’s Cupid Crew was out in full force last month – prepping and delivering roses to residents at XX seniors homes in the area. Little things make a big difference, especially in tough times. What are you doing to day to spread a little joy in all this uncertainty?

Tim’s personal branding / LinkedIn
Article two / March 2020

There’s a lot of uncertainty right now. If you work with the aging population, there’s an extra layer of worry to consider. At Home Care Assistance, we’re evolving our protocols and practices daily to ensure a safe environment for our clients and our team. We’re also developing tips and suggestions to enable housebound seniors to feel connected even as we socially distance. [share article here with link to Home Care website]