IT Support for the Elderly

IT support for the elderly does more than solving a problem, it helps to connect generations.

IT Support for the Elderly Helps Seniors Stay Connected | 480-832-4600

Why Tech Support For Seniors in Mesa Counts

Tech support for seniors in Mesa counts because the technology of the world is rapidly changing, and the population of seniors is increasing.
According to this article excerpt from AARP.ORG:
“Why more older adults don’t adapt to new computer technology, and what to do about it, are vexing questions, says Florida State University’s Neil Charness, a researcher at the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE), which is affiliated with Florida State, the University of Miami and Georgia Institute of Technology.

It seems a big reason is that not all computer users are created equal, a fact that computer designers and software engineers have not always seemed to recognize. As we age, changes in perception and motor control may make it harder to see a computer screen, type on a keyboard or use a mouse, Charness says. And then there’s the added time it takes to learn a complicated new routine — spreadsheet software, for example.

“Learning new things definitely takes more time as you get older,” Charness says. “The brain shows moderately steady decline from your late teens onwards, in terms of the flexibility to form new circuitry.”

Psychology and motivation are often overlooked factors, adds Charness, who suggests that older people weigh benefits heavily when deciding whether to adopt new technology.

“If it takes you twice as long to learn something, why would you invest that time when you could be drawing on your crystallized intelligence — your already acquired knowledge — and doing things you enjoy doing?” Charness asks.

At the University of Miami, CREATE director Sara J. Czaja wants to see whether access to a simple, senior-friendly computer system will provide those rewards and maybe even enrich users’ lives.

Czaja is conducting a yearlong study with 300 people over the age of 65 who live by themselves. Half the participants have been provided with a customized computer system using a modified version of BigScreenLive, a computer software program targeted at older people. The modified program, called PRISM for personal reminder information social management, has additional functions and different interface features.

“We’re interested in understanding what this means in terms of improving quality of life, as well as improving social isolation and social interaction patterns,” Czaja says. “In another year or so we’ll have some good empirical data.”

Her CREATE colleague Charness, who has discussed ways to make the technology easier to use with usability experts in U.S. technology companies, says that some manufacturers used to assume the senior market was too small to bother with.

“But as we’re well aware, we have an aging population,” Charness says, “and that market is growing by leaps and bounds.” [READ MORE]

Tech support helps to keep technology accessible for the elderly.

Technical Assistance for the Elderly: Final Thoughts

Being able to communicate with different groups of people is a key part of the Internet. Not so long ago, computers were king. Nowadays, however, there are several other options, all of which interconnect with each other.

It is a complicated world, and technology connects it all together. IT support for the elderly helps to navigate and effectively use technology.

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