What sort of apps and gadgets are making life easier for retirees?
04 Aug 2018
The cliche is that older people are tech-shy, calling grandkids to help with computer problems, but the truth is many retirees use technology to make life easier in ways previous generations couldn’t conceive of.
Whether Skyping the kids on a tablet or using smartphone apps to monitor health, there are a range of tech offerings that can improve your life when you give up work.
Keeping in touch
This has been one of the best things technology can offer active seniors whose families are far away. We all know about Facebook, but there are many other ways to keep in touch with the ones you love.
Instagram is the top app for sharing photos, but a new addition to the app is Instagram Stories – a fun way to show what a great time you’re having. This feature allows you to share pictures and videos with text, doodles or stickers across the top to add to your “story”. Stories disappear after a while as this new development is designed to mimic another popular sharing app, Snapchat.
Skype, WhatsApp and FaceTime are all ways to call family and friends, either via audio or video chat. And WhatsApp is one of the most popular ways to text or send photos direct to friends or groups of friends.
Health
Wearable fitness trackers like Fitbit seem to be everywhere, but they can be especially useful at a time when your health needs greater monitoring. These devices can help check if you’re getting enough sleep and exercise. They also keep an eye on warning signs, like your heart and blood pressure. They can now replace the old “I’ve fallen over and need help” devices worn around the neck.
Even those devices have changed a lot in the past few years. For those needing medication, a medical alert pendant or personal emergency response system can replace the old method of having pills lined up in day order. Like the fitness systems, these devices monitor your health but also offer helpful reminders of when to take medication – or even contact a caregiver if you need help.
Websites and apps like WebMD
(a US-based site) can also help, with a step-by-step symptom checker if you’re feeling unwell – though they can never replace a visit to a doctor!
Investment and finance
Online banking apps mean you need never set foot in a bricks-and-mortar bank again. They also allow you to transfer money, pay bills and keep track of what you spend. If you don’t have your current bank’s app on your phone, you should download it, and call into a branch (maybe for the last time!) if you need guidance.
There’s a wealth of actual investment tools on offer too, from simple things that organise your accounts and allow you to set budgets to online share trading. What you need will depend on how seriously you want to manage your money.
Out and about
Ride-sharing apps like Uber are targeted at the young, inner-city, bar-hopping crowd, but they also make it easier than ever for seniors to get around when they no longer drive. And for those who do, a growing number of retirees are choosing to make a little bit of money on the side as an Uber driver.
Make sure Find My Phone is installed on your smartphone and you’ll never have to worry about losing it again. This app helps you find your phone by displaying its whereabouts on another device (accurately on a map) or by making a sound. Another tip:
if you use Siri or a voice-activated electronic assistant, just call out to her, and if your phone is nearby you’ll hear her respond.
Streaming services mean you can now listen to any music or watch just about any film or television show you like. Apps like Netflix for movies and Spotify for music mean entertainment is always at hand.
Far from being tech-haters, this new range of technology is going to make current and future generations of retirees the most connected and empowered in history. Get plugged in.
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