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Surely everyone has heard the adage, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." However, this does not necessarily refer to helping older people learn how to operate their computer. Today, most kids can at least turn on a computer, and they might play educational computer games regularly. Middle and high schoolers are taught basic computer classes, along with keyboarding. But what about the elderly?
For a generation that grew up without the convenience of cell phones and GPS navigation systems, computers can indeed seem daunting. However, using the computer and connecting to the internet can be very beneficial for older people for several reasons.
First, connect older people to an email account. Because email tends to be an easier method of communication than talking on the phone for some young people, typing a quick message can be a great way of staying in touch with grandparents. Also, with kids proficient with digital cameras these days, it can be an excellent idea to include a few photos as well. This can be a wonderful experience for families who live too far apart to see each other regularly.
Once an older person has mastered email, jump into the internet. There are plenty of things located on the web that could be helpful for an elder person: online grocery shopping with home delivery, medical websites, and all of the other benefits that also apply to everyone else. Additionally, learning to use the internet and having to search for things online can be a good mental exercise.
If a young person is not available to teach an elderly person how to use the computer and internet, an increasing amount of communities are offering classes specifically to older people for this exact purpose. Some churches and libraries in your area might offer classes like this.
Remember, you can only teach someone what they want to learn. Therefore, listen to the older person to determine what exactly they want out of a computer. Don't force them into learning all about Youtube if they will not be watching videos online. Try to make it as basic as possible, without giving a multitude of options for the same task.
Finally, websites themselves can make it easier for elderly people to access their sites. If you are targeting your site towards the older generation, make your website's content clear, with direct headings and concise information. Too much information all squished onto one page can be overwhelming for anyone.
Also, good customer service can be a huge help to the elderly trying to glean information from a business's website. One idea is to provide a live chat service on your web page to answer any questions that a person, elderly or otherwise, might have when looking at your site. An excellent live chat service provider is Ngage.
