Technology to help family caregivers stay connected was on TV last night — it’s a sexy enough topic to have been selected for the pilot episode of a show called Handle With Care. Episode 1 of the show is entitled: Staying Connected Through Technology. This show was advertised to highlight the “challenges that family caregivers face with solutions” and is on Retirement Living TV (RLTV), carried by Comcast in my area and probably around the country. It’s the brain child of Sheri Snelling, former chair of the National Alliance for Caregiving and President of Caregiving Club and will be rebroadcast this summer. It can also be seen in 3 parts on the Caregiving Club’s web site.
Kudos to Snelling for doing a nice job of weaving a family caregiver’s personal situation with the older adult’s discovery and embracement of technology. The show had its corny moments, but the message came across loud and clear – technology can be fun for a senior who is physically frail but still intellectually engaged. Products profiled by Snelling and Robin Raskin, technology lifestyle expert, include the Telekin computer, Jitterbug phone and Great Call service, and the HP eprint system. All three of these products are nicely designed and fit into the category of “design for all” (see Laurie Orlov’s report Connected Living for Social Aging) and “keep it simple stupid” (see Susan Estrada’s guest blog on Aging In Place Technology Watch). A large portion of the show was also dedicated to the intergenerational service-learning program between PACE University and an assisted living facility in New Rochelle NY, where students worked with seniors one on one to get them comfortable with computers. This PACE U program was the subject of a fabulous ASA webinar last week – there was a lot learned about how seniors approach computers, the topic of a future blog in this space!
For a computer that was just released earlier this year, we’ve sure been hearing a lot about the Telekin. It’s a standalone touchscreen computer designed for the “technically challenged” – seniors and those with developmental and physical disabilities. The screen has live “buttons” that allow users to play games, email, share photos, video chat, check a calendar, read the news, get the weather, and surf the web. The show provided an excellent example of how the Telekin gave the Senior a new “window on the world”. After a 7 week one-on-one training program with a college student, he was able to stay in touch with friends, keep up with the news, and have visual communication with his family. The family member loved it because it helped her feel less guilty for not being there, gave her peace of mind, and gave her the ability to see how the elder’s health was. It’s not all that expensive (home version sells for $699 and multi-user version sells for $999).
Everyone loves the Jitterbug by Great Call. They keep adding services, and they’ve figured out the senior market. It’s simple, has easy to understand commands,and has a large keypad, and various services including operator assistance, automated wellness reminder calls, daily health tips and a live nurse. From my experience, this phone is likely too advanced for someone with dementia, but for someone capable of learning new things, it’s great. The guy on the show was very excited about his first shiny red cell phone and the daughter-in-law said she would buy it for him.
A true sleeper product, the HP ePrint system can be used as a “digital post office”. No computer is needed; all the receiving end needs is an internet connection. The printer has it’s own email address and using it’s own touch screen, it’s possible to surf and print from the web, download web “apps” and receive email from any smartphone or computer. There’s no other cost involved beyond the printer and some toner. Family members can email photos and other information to the printer, and with a little training on a small touch screen, the person on the receiving end can find a few things on the web.
All in all, a good topic to tempt family caregivers (and care professionals) with so that they’ll watch future episodes of the show. Snelling and Raskin chose some nice safe products that work well to demonstrate that technology can really improve quality of life. It’s great that these products are generally available either on-line or in large chain stores. In my humble option, a great suite of products for professionals in the home care field to consider for their clients who are mentally sharp, or even for a client supported by an in-home caregiver who would enjoy sitting with their client for some computer play or taking printouts off the electronic mailbox to share with the client. I, for one, will be setting my DVR to catch this show next week to see what family caregiver issue is presented next!
21st Century Care Solutions 