Most smartphones arrive prepared to do far more than the average person will ever ask of them. That’s useful if you want to edit a video, scan a document, order dinner, check the weather in Lisbon, or discover exactly how many steps you took while looking for your phone.
For an older loved one who mainly wants to call a daughter, read messages from the grandkids, and occasionally join a video call, all that capability can become clutter. The problem may not be that digital communication for seniors is too difficult to understand. The device may simply be set up for a generic user rather than the particular person holding it.
Instead of repeatedly teaching your loved one how to work around a complicated phone or tablet, spend some time making technology work better for them.
Here are seven places to start:
- Put the important people front and center. Think about who your loved one contacts most often and make those people easy to find. Add them to Favorites, use clear contact photos, and create shortcuts when the device allows it. Recognizing a daughter’s face on the screen can be much simpler than remembering which app to open and where her name appears inside it.
- Move everything else out of the way. A home screen packed with unfamiliar icons makes every task harder. Move rarely used apps off the first screen and keep the things your loved one actually uses in predictable locations. Resist the temptation to organize the phone according to what makes sense to you; arrange it according to what your loved one can recognize and remember.
- Make the screen easier to see. Tiny text and subtle icons can turn an otherwise simple task into guesswork. Increase font and icon size when appropriate, adjust brightness and contrast, and look through the device’s accessibility settings for options that could make reading or tapping easier. If your loved one repeatedly presses the wrong button, the problem may be visibility or dexterity rather than a lack of understanding.
- Make calls easier to hear. Check ringtone and call volume rather than assuming your loved one is ignoring the phone. You can also review vibration, speaker, captioning, and other available accessibility options that may make conversations easier. Test the setup by calling from another room so you know what actually happens when the phone rings.
- Choose one route to each destination. If your loved one can video call the same person through three different apps, that’s two options too many. Decide which method you’ll use most often and ask relatives to stick with it. Consistency allows your loved one to practice the same process instead of learning a different set of instructions for every person they contact.
- Create directions that match the screen. Avoid instructions such as “open the app” or “go into settings” unless those words mean something to your loved one. Write down exactly what they should look for and what happens next, such as “Tap Robert’s picture, then tap the camera symbol.” Photos or screenshots can be especially useful when the names of buttons and icons aren’t memorable.
- Practice without taking over. It’s remarkably efficient to grab the phone, fix the problem, and hand it back. It’s also remarkably ineffective if you’d like your loved one to remember what to do next time. Instead, talk them through the process and give them time to find the next step. Practice the same useful task several times before introducing something new.
Once you’ve simplified the setup, pay attention to which parts still cause trouble. Maybe your loved one can answer video calls easily but has difficulty starting them, or perhaps reading messages is simple while finding an old conversation is confusing. You don’t have to solve every technology problem at once.
You can also work around the things that remain difficult. If initiating a video call continues to be frustrating, arrange for relatives to call your loved one instead. A predictable schedule can help, particularly when regular contact is important. The purpose is connection, not proving that someone can independently perform every step required to make it happen.
And when a software update moves something, a password suddenly stops working, or an app presents a screen neither of you has ever seen before, treat it as a technology problem rather than a personal failure. Modern devices occasionally confuse people who have been using them for years, which is interesting considering they are supposed to make life easier.
Sometimes the Missing Piece Is Someone Nearby
Even a well-organized device can present occasional obstacles. Having a companion caregiver there to help answer a video call, locate a photo someone sent, or work through a confusing screen can keep a small technology problem from cutting an older adult off from an important conversation.
We’d be honored to offer a helping hand when everyday technology becomes frustrating. If someone you love in Alpena, Cadillac, Saginaw, or anywhere else in Northern or Central Michigan could benefit from more connection and support at home, call us at 877.308.1212 and request a free in-home consultation.