Older Adults Are More Digitally Savvy, but Aged Care Providers Need to Keep Up

A study shows seniors are becoming more digitally adept, but there remain age-related gaps in digital engagement, reports Medical Xpress . Access to online resources can improve older adults' well-being via better access to information and more frequent social interactions. However, there is little data on informal and unstructured Internet use by senior community residents, since the use of digital technologies in senior care remains largely undocumented. The researchers surveyed 80 senior community residents and found nearly half owned a computer or a smartphone. Mobile phone calls, texts, and e-mails were the most common methods of communication using these devices. Technology not only enabled residents to interact with family and friends they rarely saw, but also boosted interactions with people who visited more often. Polled family members often endorsed the use of digital devices if they were used to supplement social contact, but most said they were unaware of computers being available for residents in common areas of the communities they visited. Senior care operators do not generally supply residents with Wi-Fi access, which is worrisome because residents do not always have family or friends to help them become digitally connected.