Your senior may not be aware yet of how a computer can change the way they live their lives or they are not ready for it just yet which will explain the resistance you are most likely to encounter when discussing a computer with a senior, especially those who never had any experience with it whatsoever. As a caregiver, you probably know how important a computer is to a household, let alone to a senior with physical and mental limitations. However, lack of education must be the root cause of this problem.

It is important for your senior to know the benefits of having a computer and learning how to use one. I personally encountered a senior who believes that a computer is only used for typing documents, like you would on a typewriter but in different fonts. Some who went a little farther than that will tell you that they are using the computer for the already-installed games in the system like Solitaire and Minesweeper. Surely you know a computer is much more than that!

To have your senior acquainted with a computer or allow you to have one near them, start by explaining that a computer is not only an entertainment device, it is more of a tool which can help them with their everyday lives and still keep a certain level of independence while doing so. With a computer, it is possible to play with it, work with it, even run a business with it without ever leaving their homes. Like any other tool, it needs someone to run it and to be able to run it, he or she will have to learn how.

At this point, your senior may be having some doubts since a computer can be so intimidating to a newbie. To alleviate their fears, it is important to point out that it’s okay to take it slow. Teach your senior how to surf the internet, and how to find educational videos if they need some help while you’re not around. Almost everything under the sun nowadays is documented on YouTube. Tell them that the more they get used to working with computers, the more they’ll discover its rewards.

One of the computer’s greatest gift is the ability to connect with people even to those who are far from where you are. To a senior, it means a lot as generally, they have a strong urge to stay connected with their family and loved ones. Let them discover the beauty of live video chats and social networking sites, but remind them about safety measures they have to practice in and around these sites.