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bror313 t1_iui3jxy wrote

This clearly shows an unexplored market for instructors and coachs and services for eldery people regarding this subject.

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pete1901 t1_iui6oxh wrote

Having been my elderly parents' free tech support for many years; I do not envy the people who end up doing this job!

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nillerwafer t1_iuimul0 wrote

You know what though? There are a lot of elderly people out there who are perfectly tech and internet savvy! It isn’t that old people are unable to learn, it’s that a lot of people of all age groups are just fully unwilling to learn. I’ve seen it in younger people I’ve worked with, they’re already set in their ways with the phones they have and anything that’s different or new scares them.

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corcyra t1_iujtzqz wrote

I know middle-aged people (usually women) who seem to take some pride in 'I can never figure this thing out' while faffing about with their phone they've had for a couple of years. I mean, if you're going to use something, why not learn how it works? Especially since even children can.

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Dallenforth t1_iui82gf wrote

I literally go to elderly people's homes to facilitate adls and medication dispensing.

You are vastly over-estimating the average elderly ability to learn something new. Most of the ones I see don't remember what they did the previous day and can't see anything under 20-30 point font.

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jodido47 t1_iuj4z2i wrote

I'm 75, my friends and family are all around my age, and I don't know a single person who fits this description.

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soulhot t1_iui905p wrote

Whilst that may be true to a certain extent, there is considerable reluctance to join the revolution among some of the older generation. My mother in law who sadly lives alone now, is well educated and still very capable both physically and mentally, for an 82 year old.

My wife and myself both have IT degrees and worked in the industry all our lives so she is very aware of technology developments over the years, but we have never managed to persuade her to even get WiFi at home. We have bought her tablets and and mobile phones and offered to get her WiFi but she still doesn’t want or consider using them. She visits our house every week and she regularly sees us FaceTiming with our two children who she is very close to, but still no change.

She has a landline and that’s ‘all she needs’ but we find it very frustrating. Ultimately I think her generation are quite prepared to put up with inconvenience rather than have something that changes how they want to do things, or are a ‘waste of money’

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pizzainoven t1_iuidr80 wrote

I actually don't find that weird. It would be nice if she could use a basic cellphone so she could call or text someone if she gets in an emergency outside the home. But stuff like FaceTiming the grandchildren, I get how she sees that as unnecessary. She sees them 1x a week and gets updates from you and your wife, perhaps that is enough for her? Tablets, sure, but from her perspective she already had resources for getting the news, weather, and entertainment from other sources so why add something else?

I kinda get it. Why add more to your life if you're satisfied with what you have.

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jodido47 t1_iuj5cew wrote

No sane person would inconvenience themselves rather than continue to do things as they want to do them or waste money. You've totally undercut your own argument. "We"--ie, you and your wife--find it very frustrating. That's not MIL's problem, that's yours.

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soulhot t1_iuja3p5 wrote

Firstly and contextually, my comment was engaging with a previous poster saying it was an opportunity for training the elderly and I was pointing out the elderly sometimes do not want change regardless of opportunity or benefits. Your comment on the other hand added nothing to the discussion other than your judgemental preconceptions. If you were genuinely interested you would engage and consider more details, but you rush to judge when you know nothing about our family circumstances.

FYI our frustrations are as a very loving family trying to help our relative with difficult issues. The fact she says she is often lonely and depressed, because many of her friends have passed or are not well and they are unable to meet is a major concern for us. We take her out to meet them regularly but it’s not the same as being able to chat and meet when you want. Some of her friends have embraced technology or live in houses with access to it so her being online would provide opportunities to engage with her friends who are not mobile. Indeed many schemes to help the elderly run locally and they use online facilities engage and provide information and advice, which again would be a boon to her. She also often feels bored but bemoans the lack of interesting things to watch on tv which would be less of an issue if she could stream. There are many other benefits but it is pointless discussing these here now.

A very wise person once said that when you point your finger at someone, take a moment to look at your hand and see just how many fingers are pointing back... perhaps you should try it some time

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pizzainoven t1_iuid8mt wrote

The well-to-do will always be OK but there is an increasing number of seniors in the USA who are living in poverty. Fixed income and expenses are rising. They don't have the money to pay an additional fee (internet) and paid coaches.

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swirlygates t1_iuifap4 wrote

Public libraries have been doing that for some time. They're relatively popular too.

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