Building Digital Equity: Tech Access for Older Adults
Many households and older adults lack access to technology or may not know how to use online tools. This builds a widening accessibility gap to on-demand government tools, medical services, and more. Learn why technology is crucial for aging today, and how you can close the digital divide.
How Does Technology Help?
Technology and online applications improve accessibility to many important tools, services, and programs, such as:
- Video calls with healthcare professionals (telehealth)
- Mental health services
- Online banking or financial services
- Government, retirement, and veteran services
- Community safety alerts
- Social gatherings
- Religious organizations
For homebound older adults and people with disabilities, these tech tools help them stay healthy and social as they age in place. They also save time for busy caregivers, since online information is available at any time.
How to Improve Tech Access for Your Loved One
As more tools move online, it becomes crucial for caregivers and their loved ones to have access to technology and digital tools. But this can be tricky with how expensive devices are.
If you and your loved one need help accessing technology or online resources, our Caregiver Solutions team is always ready to help. Contact your caregiver advisor or submit a referral through the button below to get in touch.
Assurance wireless also offers free phone plans for eligible low-income households called the Lifeline Assistance Program. If you are enrolled in Medicaid, a state-funded healthcare program, or SNAP, you likely qualify.
To learn more and apply, visit Assurance’s website.
Then, the next challenge for older adults is learning how to navigate these online tools. Here are a few tips to make the process more intuitive and seamless:
1. Set Up Accessibility Modes
Most modern phones, tablets, and computers come with accessibility settings built specifically for older adults and people with disabilities. Look through the device settings to find accessibility tools and modifications such as:
- Text-to-speech
- Larger fonts
- Increased color contrast
- Bigger buttons
- Bigger cursor
- Slower scrolling speed
2. Use a Digital Password Vault
Another frequent problem for older adults and busy caregivers is password management. With each online account needing a secure password, it can be difficult to keep track of all of them.
It might be tempting to use the same password for every account. But this can be a security risk, since a thief who steals that password will then have access to all your accounts. Writing down passwords on paper can be equally risky for fear of losing the paper.
Instead, a free secure password vault such as Bitwarden and ProtonPass protects your safety and privacy by storing unique passwords behind a master password. Once you log in with the master password, the application will automatically fill in the needed password when you visit a website, making logging in quick and easy.
3. Set Up Desktop Shortcuts
Does your loved one check the weather or news online every day? For frequently used websites and apps, putting a shortcut on your desktop empowers your loved one to find and access what they need with ease.
Some desktop shortcuts you may want to consider:
- Weather
- Weekly online calls
- Online banking
- Online health trackers
- Settings
- Important file folders
4. Turn On Automatic Bill Payments
Our last tip is to turn on automatic online bill payments for utilities and credit cards. Though some older adults may still prefer to pay through check and balance checkbooks manually, this runs the risk of missed payments or lost checks. This can be especially worrisome if your loved one is experiencing cognitive changes as they age.
Setting up automatic online payments from your bank account saves you the stress and worry of a missed payment. While you’ll still have to keep an eye on costs and spending, having utilities automatically paid for helps take one thing off your plate so you can focus on bigger tasks.