lundi 19 septembre 2016

New Technology May Not Be The Best Phone Service For Elderly People

By Kevin Collins


With the popularity of cellular technology, many people seem to have forgotten that the infrastructure of the old home land line is still in place. Cellular phones, with small screens and touch technology, are not easy for many people to use. Simply having a home line may be the best phone service for elderly people.

For most older people, it is simply what they are accustomed to using. Whether or not they have a degenerative condition such as Alzheimer disease, forgetfulness is a part of aging. This makes it challenging to learn new things, and many people may not be able to retain things learned more recently.

Older telephones had much larger buttons than what we see on more modern tools, many of which do not have buttons at all but rather a touch screen. The flip-phones still requested by many men have buttons, but they are quite small and not easily seen by someone with cataracts. Our parents and grandparents need to be able to see what they are dialing.

As parents and grandparents become more home-bound, some are even unable to drive, the need for a cellular diminishes. Land-line phones are more consistently reliable than cellular phones are, with many dropping calls or having poor service even now. Eventually this old technology will deteriorate, but for the time being it is still there to help us and our loved ones feel comfortable and secure.

Most of us remember our kitchen telephone being loud enough to startle us even when there were groups of people all speaking at once. Older people find this volume to be helpful when it comes to getting to a call in time. Rather than having your parent or grandparent running in circles trying to locate a vibrating device, a loud telephone centrally located in their living space helps everyone be more at ease.

If our parents cannot hear a ring, or simply cannot find the device in a purse or pocket in time to catch a call, then it is of very little use to them. If they do not reliably answer their device when we try to call them, then we find ourselves worried for their well being. It helps everyone when they are provided with tools they already know.

So often we think we are doing an older person a favor by providing them with modern tools and technology. We think we can make them see the benefit, no matter how complex this new device is. Some people are not able to learn the new tech, and some simply do not wish to learn how these hand-held devices work.

Many of us will tend to become rigid and set in our way as we age, and change can be frightening. Attempting to force someone to use something they are afraid of benefits no one, and may be a manifestation of our own hubris. This is especially true if the device is being provided to them for their own safety and well being.




About the Author:



Share this article

0 commentaires:

Enregistrer un commentaire

 
Copyright © 2015 Zobo • All Rights Reserved.
Distributed By Free Blogger Templates | Template Design by BTDesigner • Powered by Blogger