Years ago, the only option grandparents had to stay connected with their grandchildren were face-to-face visits, telephone calls, and the mail. Today’s technology offers many other opportunities, and a new survey shows seniors are taking advantage of them.
The “Grandparents Today” Survey
AARP conducted a survey they titled the “Grandparents Today” survey. More than 2,500 older adults responded to the survey. Around 33 percent of the respondents have at least one grandchild how lives more than 50 miles away. About half have a grandchild that is 200 miles or more away.
The results of the study show that seniors are taking advantage of several options for communicating with grandchildren:
- 46 percent talk to their grandkids on the phone.
- 28 percent communicate through text messaging.
- 24 percent use video chat.
- 18 percent stay in touch using Facebook.
The responses to the survey also showed that more seniors would like to use technology to connect with their family members than actually do use it. The barrier may be that they don’t know how to use technology or don’t feel comfortable with it.
What Caregivers Can Do to Help Seniors Stay Connected
There are a lot of benefits to seniors learning to use technology to contact their grandchildren and other family members. For one thing, technology like video chat lets them actually see the other person, which can be important during the years when grandchildren grow so quickly. Video chat can feel more like a real visit than just talking on the phone. Social media also lets older adults see their grandchildren and what they are involved in since they can share videos and pictures.
Caregivers who are tech-savvy can help their older family members learn to use technology to stay in touch with others. It may take some patience but walking a senior through using their smartphone to text or teaching them to video chat can be really rewarding. Caregivers will get the joy of seeing the smile on their aging relative’s face when they get a return text or see their grandchild’s face on the screen.
For caregivers who aren’t as good with technology, some libraries and senior centers offer classes that teach older adults the basics. Contact these places to find out what is available. Another option is to have older grandchildren teach their grandparents how to text, video chat, or use social media. This gives them a chance to forge a stronger bond over working together.
For more information about hiring Senior Care in La Costa, CA, call the friendly caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare who can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, at 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.
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