Tablets forum: For an elderly person, is the tablet a good move from a desktop/laptop?

As with anything else, there is always a learning curve when attempting to navigate using any new type of electronic device. If someone is able to sit with the elderly person, and walk him through certain applications, and to teach him how to navigate using it, for all his daily needs? There`s no reason why any elderly person should not attempt to use and take advantage of the latest technologies,available to them today. Just go for it !

Chris M

I have skimmed the other responses and I have a couple of questions.

Does your dad have the desire/want to use a Device to connect to the Internet? For what purpose does he us the Internet?

Are you in a position to actually observe him using whatever Device he is using now to access the Internet? Does he have difficulty in using any other everyday devices - microwave, cable with DVR or a complex remote, driving, etc.? Can you observe those daily living activities for a while? Maybe a pattern will emerge.

Does he have any health issues - eyesight, memory issues, motorskills, hearing, etc. that may need to be overcome?

Whatever Device he uses, I believe that there must be a desire to use the Technology and keep up with it.

In the past I have provided Technical Support to 100 year olds that just need the POP servers names and DNS numbers to get their e-mail on a new computer, yet 65 year old men whined while I had them go through steps to reset the same. It was all about attitude. I really believe age has nothing to do with it. I started out with Punchcards and Fortran. I am still at it.

These are just a few of the questions I can think of off the top of my head.

hth

It very much depends on the person's cognitive abilities and physical dexterity.

Elderly people often have problems with their short-term memory so learning new skills can be problematic. They also often suffer from arthritis in their hands so using hand gestures on a tablet may be difficult.

These can be overcome however, for example if you use a notebook and write down the instructions for what they want to do in plain english and keep it by the tablet/laptop/desktop they can refer to it when necessary. Just teach them what they need to know so they don't become confused by all the new information.

Use of a stylus on the tablet and voice recognition software may also help. For desktops there are also large key keyboards, switches and input devices such as a large rollermouse designed for the disabled for inputting information which are easier to use than the conventional keyboard and mouse. think outside the box and adapt the device to the person not the person to the device.

I have many elderly and handicapped clients and a tablet such as the iPad or even a Kindle can be a great alternative to a Desktop or Laptop for some. However, depending on the exact needs, some people, especially the elderly, have issues with things like working on a small screen, typing on the virtual keyboard and getting accustom to using hand gestures. Over the years, I have found that the biggest obstacles in elderly use of a computer can usually be overcome through taking great care in setting up the computer to match the needs of the user and configuring it to be as simple to operate as possible. Both Windows and the Mac OS have numerous settings that can be altered to cater to the elderly or even handicapped individuals.

The overall goal is to make the computer user friendly while focusing on simplicity. Focus on keeping the desktop clear of icons that are not needed and create shortcuts to only the things that are needed. You may also find it helpful to place some programs into the startup folder so they open automatically when the computer starts.

Without even getting into all the options that can be found within the Accessibility section of the control panel, here are just a few of the things that can be done to make a computer more user friendly to the elderly.

SCREEN FONTS and SIZE - Changing the screen font and size can make a big difference by making the text more readable for the elderly. Nice large fonts with good contrast with the background is desirable. Don't forget to show your user how to use CTRL and the Plus and Minus key to Zoom in and out on web pages.

SCREEN RESOLUTION - Even though the LCD monitor of today have an optimal resolution setting, this often results in icons and text that is way too small for almost anyone over the age of 40. Try experimenting with the Screen resolution until you get the best size and image quality for the user.
SCREEN SAVER - Sometimes I find that screen savers can confuse the elderly user. Again, try to make things a simple as possible. You might find that turning off the screen saver may help.

ACCOUNT SETUP - It is often helpful to create an account that has standard privileges instead of Administrative Rights. This reduces the chances that someone will install something that they shouldn't.

MENUS - Most Programs have the ability to customize the menus. This can go a long way in making things less complicated. Customize menus to contain only the things the user really needs such as Open, Save and Print.

POWER SETTINGS - Some users can get confused when they leave the computer for a few minutes and it goes into Sleep mode or even hibernates. For simplicity reasons you might want to forgo some energy Savings and disable Standby, Hybernating and having the monitor shut off in the power settings .

STARTUP FOLDER - You really simplify things for some users by automatically starting programs for them when the computer first starts. For example: If the user only uses the computer read their email then it might be helpful to place their email client (like Live Mail) into the startup folder so that it open automatically whenever the start the computer.

LOCK DOWN - Locking down the computer can help keep all your hard work from being changed. Setting up the user as a standard user can also help prevent them from making changes by mistake.

EMAIL ...WEB based email vs. Email Client - Some users have trouble with using Internet Based email such as Gmail or Yahoo mail. All the ads can be distracting and updates and upgrades can often change the way the mail system works or looks. I find that many elderly users are much better off using an email client such as Apple Mail, Windows Live Mail or Outlook rather than having to go to the internet. One big advantage is they never need to enter or remember passwords.

CLOUD STROAGE - Using some form of online storage such as Dropbox can make it real easy for you to collaborate with your parents or grandparents. Something like DropBox can be a great way to send and exchange photos and videos without all the bother of opening and saving attachments and running into large file issues that you can have with email.

REMOTE ACCESS - I find it can be real helpful to setup some form of remote access to the user's computer so that you can help them when they get into trouble. Services such as gotomypc and logmein can be a real life saver especially if your loved one live very far away. Besides you can go into their computer and change the screed background to your favorite new picture of the grandchildren anytime you want.

UPDATES - If you plan to be the gate keeper of your parents computer either by remote of stopping by every once and awhile, you may find it useful to turn off all updates and do them manually for them . Updates are just one more thing to pop up and make things confusing.

SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE - I would suggest a good security program like Norton Internet Security. If you cannot be around much to help with the computer I would suggest a program such as Norton 360 which will perform many maintenance tasks automatically without any user intervention. With any of these programs, go into preferences or settings and turn off many of the notifications just to make thing less obtrusive. Your user does not need to know when the CPU usage is high.

The bottom line is that when setup correctly, the Laptop or desktop computer is a lot more versatile than a tablet and as your elderly parent of grandparent gets older you can change the settings to more closely match his or her individual needs. Don't forget to setup Skype so that your father can see and talk to the Grandchildren.

Dana
Wayland Computer

You mention only costly traditional $$$-authorized troubleware that needs virus protectors etc. If you read other posts here, there are many alternatives to your troubles.

The most important thing to understand about a tablet is that it needs good manual dexterity to be used. Also, setting at a desk working on a fixed screen can be easier (less frustrating) than having to hold the tablet and simultaneously navigate using the screen.

Also, keep in mind that a keyboard and mouse are still the easiest way of interfacing with a computer.

Personally, I would say no to the tablet question unless all your father is doing is surfing the web and doing lite reading of news/articles.

I have considered an eReader recently because I enjoy reading books but in this area my personal preference would be the Kindle. I don't necessarily need color and for pure reading I don't like the compromise you get when looking at tet characters on a PC. One of the models using e-Ink is my preference because the quality of the "page" is very close to a printed page. I'm trying to decide between the Kindle Keyboard and the Kindle DX.

I have an iPad. I love it. I use it for a lot of things. What don't I use it for? Reading email and Internet browsing. Of course, I never liked using a laptop for that either. I only use a laptop or the iPad for those tasks when I have to (when traveling). I find using an iPad for those tasks feels crippling; I just can't go as fast or get as much done on them. With my well-over-40 eyes, I am much more comfortable with a large screen, preferably two, especially because I tend to have more than one thing open at a time. I do love the fact that the iPad can be used in so many comfortable positions, many more comfortable positions than a laptop. I love the easy-on-the-eyes screen. I love my iPad for watching movies instead of watching them on the TV. And the iPad is a comfortable way to read, especially for older eyes like mine. And pictures look fabulous on it. The iPad is good for games too; and there are lots of great apps, apps for just about anything that interests you. Most of the apps I use are "natives," unlike email and the Internet. I use the device most suited for my task: my desktop for email and the Internet and for anything that involves a lot of typing and a word processor, and I use my iPad for most other things. I wouldn't worry about it being hard to learn to use an iPad at all; there is only a very small list of things you need to know; it is much much easier to learn to use than is a computer. (Note that I have no experience with any other tablet brand.)

I did exactly the same thing for my father who is 88 and he loves it. He had been using a laptop and he still does as there are a few things that are not yet on the iPad. But with the iPad he doesn't have to stay sitting by the desk. He can move anywhere in his apartment (you need wireless for this, of course) and when he goes to his girlfriend's on weekends he can now take the iPad instead of the heavy laptop. Battery is great and using it a lot more intuitive. He can read papers and books, browse the web, play games, watch TV and we can use FaceTime (or Skype) to talk and see each other while he is away from home.

If your dad is used to a PC, at his age, the migration can be realy hard to impossible.
Older peoples can find the transition to a mobile solution intimidating and realy uncomfortable. I know someone in her late 60's who got a laptop and have great dificulty using it. Bad working position, cramped keyboard,...

There are other, and probably beter, solutions:

Find the keyboard with the bigger keys you can find.
Before offering him a tablet, have him actualy try one. Look if you can borrow or lease one for a few days.

If he have dificulty with the mouse, maybe a trackball could be beter. It may be worth checking for an oversized "kid's" model. Broad no-skid base, colourfull fitted with a 6" ball and very large buttons.

A tablet have a rather small screen and his vision is not what it used to be. He probably need a larger screen and use enlarged fonts. Try the various high contrast options and large fonts settings.

Every versions of Windows, and probably other OS as well, have accessibility settings. Explore them with your dad and find those that help and work the best for him.

I find my iPad much more intuitive than a PC laptop. The iPad also beats out an iPhone because of the larger, crisper screen. I'm 67 and have cataracts.