Four Real Reasons for Your Senior to Use a Smartphone

March 26, 2021Lillian FunkBlog, Senior Safety, Technology

If your elderly family member has been avoiding getting a smartphone, there are some big reasons she might want to reconsider. Smartphones aren’t just for younger generations at all. There are a lot of tools that are built right into today’s smartphones that can do an awful lot for your elderly family member. They can also help you to feel better about knowing that she’s able to live her life on her own terms.

Built-in Accessibility Features

Accessibility features have come a long way in smartphones. Manufacturers make these available in the operating system, so there’s nothing to download or to add in order to activate these features. Hearing aid compatibility might be a feature your senior needs, for instance. But it’s also important to be able to adjust text size or to have a screen reader help your senior to navigate the features and apps on her phone. This can be life changing for her.

Onboard GPS Tools

Whether your senior is still driving or she’s being assisted with transportation, it’s incredibly helpful for her to have onboard GPS and mapping tools right in her hand. These features enable her to know where she is and how to get where she wants or needs to be. The best part is that these features are easily voice activated, so they’re even easier to use than ever before.

Video Calling Options

Keeping in touch with friends and family is crucial, especially during the pandemic. Having the ability to use her smartphone to immediately make and accept video calls can be incredibly helpful for your elderly family member. There might be a learning curve, but it’s typically an easy skill to pick up.

Ease of Communication

Overall, communication is so much easier with today’s smartphones. Your senior can email directly from her device, she can send and receive text and picture messages, and she can call or video call at any time. All of this from one device means that your elderly family member can choose the options she prefers and that work best for her.

Smartphones are just one of many tools that can help your aging family member to live a full and happy life. Hiring home care providers is another solution that assists your senior in different ways. Offering your elderly family member all the tools you can helps her to meet her own care goals for this stage of her life.