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Loneliness is Still a Big Problem for the Elderly – but Technology is Helping

  • June 24, 2017
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Loneliness is Still a Big Problem for the Elderly – but Technology is Helping

Every now and again we seem to hear a story about an elderly people who are lonely and don’t have anyone to turn towards for a quick chat or close relationship. We may only hear about these issues on the odd occasion, but these types of issues effect the elderly every day – and there aren’t necessarily lots of clear solutions to help. However, something which has started to make a difference in eradicating loneliness in the elderly is technology.which has started to make a difference in eradicating loneliness in the elderly is technology.

How Is it Helping?

Technology has now developed so that it has become very easy for people to use. The reason this has become so popular in helping loneliness with elder people is because it previously used to be very hard for people to get the grasp of the complex technologies which were being produced by the companies.

In the modern age, older people can use technology for a number of different reasons –  with there now even being assisted living machines that can help people with their day-to-day lives. These types of technologies can help with making life easier and giving elderly people an easier way to deal with problems they may face on a daily basis, which in turn can help with loneliness as it makes them feel more active and less subdued. When it comes to directly curing loneliness, there are more common technologies such as computers and smartphones which allow the elderly to communicate with friends & family via emails, texts and video calls.

Making Sure Everyone Can Use Technology

As mentioned, one of the biggest problems with technology is that a lot of elderly people don’t know how to use it properly. Even the younger generation can suffer with this problem but it is more difficult for older people because they would not have been introduced to technology from a young age, thus meaning it can be hard to learn straight away.

To help with the elderly being able to use technology, it can be a good idea for friends & family to try teach them how to use it. Another better option can be for the local councils to hold classes for the elderly to get a course on how to use laptops or other pieces of technology.

Key Things We Can do to Help the Elderly

If you are aware of an older person who finds technology difficult, then there are a number of ways you can help. When it comes to helping with loneliness, one of the best things to do is teach them how to interact with people online. Therefore, it could be a great idea to teach them how to video call, and set up a Facebook account. 

You could even take this a step further and show them how to work Google Earth. This will let them search for their old address and have a little nostalgia trip but looking at their old street where they lived when they were younger.

As you would expect, technology is only one of the small ways to cure loneliness. Nothing can beat close human interaction and relationship building which help to make an older person less lonely. However, it is important to help the elderly in any way we can – and technology is certainly one of the better answers.

Article by Ryan Duffy

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