If you’d like to communicate with seniors from a distance, or a small screen on a phone just isn’t that great for FaceTime or Skype, it might be time to consider a tablet. They’re small but not too small, convenient, and much less expensive than a laptop or desktop computer.
There are certainly many seniors who already enjoy communicating online, and it’s a great way to stay in contact with grandchildren at a distance or others they are apart from these days. Plus it’s becoming more common to have virtual medical appointments, and a great way to keep people off the roads on an icy day.
If you are wondering about getting a tablet, or perhaps helping a parent find the right one, there are many considerations to keep in mind. Setup can be an issue for those who aren’t familiar with the process, so having a family member or friend willing to help with that is a godsend. Some brands or models have features that are geared for people with hearing aids, or have easy-to-use features to change settings like size and color for visual impairments. If you’ve always used a PC or always had Apple products, you may want to stick with your favorite brand.
Then you’ll want to consider costs, data plans, size, support, etc. as with any technology purchase. Good security is a must for seniors, who are often targets for scams.
If you’re thinking of buying a tablet for a parent, you’ll need to make sure they’re interested in using it; some just find them more work than they’re worth. Or perhaps cognitive or other health issues make learning new things too difficult or too frustrating for them to handle.
If you’re interested in suggestions for how to look into a tablet for seniors, the website below has a complete discussion of several popular models. It goes into detail with each model, and the Buyer’s Guide and Frequently Asked Questions near the end are concise and address common issues.
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