My 93 year old mother lives nearly three hours away from me, and not much less away from my sister. About 10 years ago I persuaded her to get a laptop, with a printer, and she soon took to emailing friends and family and looking at the photos we shared with her. In her youth she had used a typewriter and those skills very quickly came back.
With the arrival of the first tablets I soon realised that here was a device that she could adopt as her ability to type declined as her arthritis limited her dexterity. She’s now on her second iPad. It’s been a godsend. As well as her email which she still uses regularly, she uses the social network Google+ to chat with her grandchildren, and watch the progress through videos of her great grandchildren. She plays online scrabble with a grandson in Australia, and others as well and she occasionally wins – which gives her a huge amount of pleasure – as does the occasional Facetime (video call – skype-like) session she has with us.
She also reads the news off the web and browses the internet using Google. Just recently she took her first photograph using the iPad and shared it with the family. All of this in a safe and secure IT environment with privacy ensured so that only the family share in these communications.
The iPad has kept her in touch with her family. She passionately advocates its use and adoption to her friends as a way of them keeping in touch with their relatives and with her. It’s become an essential part of our “care package” for her.
I think this is a wonderful idea , and very generous of you to share your knowledge and skills .
I am away next week , but on return I will read Streetwise, where I left a comment as Janet H , and get in contact .
Mom’s oldest brother, also 93, and his wife, 92, are daily users of hotmail, Google and msn messenger. For several months after first discovering this magic they enthusiastically shared jokes and pictures to the point where many of us found our inboxes overflowing and our wanted mail being returned to sender. On the upside it has enabled my uncle to almost complete the family tree with his connections throughout North America and in the UK and has really kept them up to date on everything from current events to changing landscapes on google earth. I recently accepted my aunt’s 20th attempt to befriend me on Facebook. What harm could it do? Last night she called to say she thought I was being a bit rude with my anti Trump posts. Gotta love it!
Hugs to your Mum, David. I must send her some recent pics.
I love the comment about your Aunt. I’ve found that politics is a “no go” area as far as the family is concerned.
How can you be too rude when writing about a person who’s rude all the time?