With Cognitive Impairment, Older Adults Struggle With -- and Face Risks From -- Smartphones, Computers

Older adults with cognitive impairment will face increasing difficulty in using smartphones, computers, and other everyday communications technologies, reports the Washington Post . Optum's Robert Zorowitz suggests computer skills may decline even "before older adults misplace keys, forget names, or display other more classic signs of early dementia." The Pew Research Center estimated that 73 percent of adults 65 and older used the Internet this year, up from 43 percent nine years ago — while 42 percent of older adults owned smartphones in 2017, versus 18 percent in 2013. Some doctors are factoring in such trends in their treatment strategies: Johns Hopkins Medicine Professor Halima Amjad now asks older adults if they use a computer or smartphone and are having problems like forgetting passwords or getting locked out of accounts. "If there's a notable change in how someone is using technology, we would proceed with a more in-depth cognitive evaluation," she notes. Meanwhile, Rush University's Neelum Aggarwal says older adults are citing problems with technology as a "nonthreatening way to talk about trouble with thinking." If using technology has become aggravating, Aggarwal advises deleting apps on cellphones and programs on computers. Penn Medicine's Cynthia Clyburn says safety issues should prompt family members to take action — such as counseling older adults against giving out their Social Security or credit card information through email to avoid financial fraud.