OT: Old people’s homes and internet connections
My father and I was talking today about something he’d found on the internet that somewhat worried him. He’s getting older, and some day he might wind up in a retirement facility. He was worried about certain sleeping pills causing falls.
And then my mind took a turn: How about my father in a retirement facility, without an internet connection? My father usually starts a conversation with me these days complaining about the computer… How this and that site is slow, and the computer is (from his point of view) behaving irrationally. I’ve learned to tune out - he never shuts down firefox before shutting down the computer, yet always THINKS he’s done it correctly.
Anyway, I have friends who are over 80 years old, and their computer and internet connection is their pride and joy. It enables them to keep in touch with family and strangers alike. How about when/if they end up in a retirement facility? They’ll go stir crazy without access to the internet! I sure hope those who plan these facilities plan ahead!
Today many 60 year olds are on the internet. But today’s 30 year olds are almost ALL on the internet.
January 25th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
My dad is in his 80s, and uses a laptop I bought him for all his Internet and gaming needs (I can see which side I get it from !
) But, like you with your dad, I worry about connectivity if he ever needs to go to an Old Folks’ Home. Partly, I know that his Internet needs will probably not be so great, since whatever rendered him incapable of living in his own house will also reduce his interest and ability to use the Internet (or make sense of it).
But I also firmly believe that municipalities are going to continue to move to provide wide area wireless access to the Internet, that everyone, independent of their location within that municipality, will be able to use–including old folks in facilities.
Well, I am hoping for this, anyhow.