I really like my 78-year-old mom and do no matter I can to assist. However when she has laptop hassle, she spins right into a pissed off tech spiral, begins lashing out, and I need nothing to do together with her. The unbiased girl who taught me to be resourceful by sending me to the dictionary now needs her outcomes the simple manner—for me to repair it in seconds—whereas I see a possibility to show her easy methods to assist herself. Consequently, we find yourself bickering.
We aren’t alone. In keeping with the Pew Analysis Heart, there are at present 62 million adults over the age of 65 within the US. That quantity is anticipated to succeed in 84 million—and leap from 18 p.c to 23 p.c of the inhabitants—by 2054. That’s lots of seniors, and a heck of lots of tech assist.
“Typically studying from non-family members works finest, as a result of we are typically extra affected person with different individuals,” says Skye N. Leedahl, a professor of human growth and household science on the College of Rhode Island. Leedahl performs analysis because the college’s principal investigator that focuses on high quality of life and well being points for older adults. The college has a tech assist program of its personal, a collaboration with a North American tech-support nonprofit generally known as Cyber-Seniors.
And that’s not the one such group. Tom Kamber, the chief director of Older Adults Know-how Providers (OATS) and the Senior Planet instructional program at AARP says in an electronic mail: “Older individuals are more and more utilizing tech for studying about wholesome residing and medical points, about funds {and professional} expertise—some are nonetheless working—and easily to remain sharp mentally.”
Kamber and a corps of volunteers launched OATS in 2004 to advertise digital literacy amongst our older friends. They obtain it by means of their Senior Planet program (extra under) in addition to their advocacy and scholarship. OATS.org provides a glimpse into the group’s 20-year historical past, its outreach and connectivity packages, and its on-line group portal/social community. The web site additionally has an interactive finder that means that you can enter your zip code to discover a Senior Planet accomplice website close to you.
And people are simply the trade OGs. The excellent news is there’s a wealth of choices—a few of them are even free. The tech assist websites listed under cater particularly to seniors.
Having different tech choices is certainly going to assist Mother and I. Having a impartial third social gathering iron out her technical points means I gained’t need to resent the strain of being the resident “tech guru,” and he or she gained’t need to resent my makes an attempt to coach her. It ought to free me as much as give attention to appreciating the time we’ve collectively. Right here’s hoping it does the identical for you and the seniors in your life.
Senior Planet From AARP
Created in 2015, the novice-friendly Senior Planet web site boasts a cohesive compendium of free on-line content material: articles, programs, lectures, demo movies, and workshops aimed toward our elders (in English, Spanish, and Cantonese). The choices vary from studying easy methods to use a smartphone to digital train lessons to in-person meetups. The premier senior vacation spot served upwards of half 1,000,000 individuals final yr and exhibits no indicators of slowing down; they even have their very own podcast. The group began with one in-person location in New York Metropolis and now boasts satellite tv for pc areas in North Nation, New York; Montgomery County, Maryland; Denver; San Antonio; and Miami. Digital one-on-one coaching—by way of Zoom—can be out there.
Service hours are 9 am to eight pm ET, Mondays by means of Fridays; 9 am to 2 pm ET on Saturdays. E mail data@seniorplanet.org or name (888) 713-3495.
Cyber-Seniors
Cyber-Seniors was impressed by a 2014 documentary that adopted a group of Canadian seniors studying to make use of the web for the primary time. The North American org (it operates in Canada and the US) provides coaching and free one-on-one tech assist by pairing seniors with pupil volunteers for an intergenerational expertise that each events study from. There are volunteers who communicate English, Spanish, and French. The location contains a e-newsletter, weekly occasions calendar, webinar, toll-free tech assist, coaching for volunteers and seniors, merchandise, clips from the film, and a bit devoted to cybersecurity safety. The group has North American companions throughout two-thirds of the continent which have Cyber-Seniors packages (the College of Rhode Island is considered one of them).
Service hours are 8 am to 4 pm ET. E mail scheduling@cyberseniors.org or name (844) 217-3057.
Quincy
Quincy was based by Ryan Greene whereas he was a pupil at Columbia Enterprise College in 2020 to assist his grandfather and the opposite mature adults in his life having tech hassle. Distant tech assist classes are performed by way of secured connections and recorded, must you wish to revisit them sooner or later. Quincy additionally provides fraud safety: A tech assist group evaluations your emails, texts, voicemails, and social media for con video games. There’s even a weblog with posts aimed toward non-techies. Plans begin at $5/month, and the corporate additionally provides 14 minutes per thirty days of free assist to Medicare recipients
Service hours are 8 am to eight pm ET. Message Quincy’s employees by way of the chat assist characteristic on the web site or name (208) 557-8466.
Candoo
CEO and creator Liz Hamburg created Candoo in 2019 after having “skilled firsthand the frustration that my mother and father have felt coping with expertise.” Plans for one-to-one tech concierge assist include a single one-hour session ($75) or an annual membership ($228/yr for singles, $340/yr for {couples}). Assist and coaching are additionally out there in English and Spanish on the enterprise membership degree for senior facilities, nursing properties, and different care amenities. Memberships additionally embody a free how-to library, videoconferencing instruments, on-line procuring guides, and a downloadable pill comparability sheet.
Service hours are 9 am to eight pm ET. E mail assist@candootech.com or name (646) 758-6606.
The Smarter Service
Began by enterprise companions Terry Dry and Greg Boles as “a customized tech concierge service for older adults,” the Smarter Service provides its clients personalised one-on-one technical help based mostly on the complexity of their digital wants. Clients are assigned the identical concierge each time they use the service. In-person coaching is accessible within the larger Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California; Scenic and Scottsdale, Arizona; and Columbus and Indianapolis, Indiana. Assist can be out there for senior facilities, nursing properties, and different retirement communities. Smarter Service provides free consultations that can assist you choose a plan. Annual memberships begin at $125 per thirty days, however different tailor-made packages can be found.
Service hours are 9 am to five pm PT, Mondays by means of Saturdays. E mail data@thesmarterservice.com or name (805) 765-8348.
