The belief that seniors are still stuck in the mid-twentieth century, watching black and white television and taking care of all their communication by snail mail is becoming a thing of the past. And while that may be the case for some, a great deal of seniors have launched themselves into technology—they have smart televisions and phones, and they communicate by email, FaceTime, Facebook, and Twitter.
Just look at some of the statistics compiled by the Pew Research Center. Four in ten seniors older than 65 now own a smartphone, says Pew in a 2017 article. That rate rose 24 percentage points from 2013, when 18% of U.S. residents age 65 and up owned a smartphone. The percentage at the time of the article sat at 42%.
And it appears to have increased since then. Another Pew Research Center article, published in 2019, states that people 60 and older now spend at least half their leisure time in front of screens. That amount is equal to about four hours and sixteen minutes a day, the article said. That’s not all. In 2000, 14% of people 65 and older had internet at their homes; in 2019, that figure had jumped to 73%.
This research continues throughout the technology spectrum, including internet, social media, email, tablet ownership—you name it, tech among seniors is growing.
We realize no two residents are alike. Some still prefer to read a newspaper each morning, so we will have newspapers for them. Some may never be able to read a book on their tablet, via Kindle. We have books for them. We want to ensure that all our future residents have the ability to communicate to their loved ones and enjoy leisure activities by providing access to technology at their fingertips, if desired.
Our aging population have embraced technology and we will be sure that our technology at Homeplace continues to evolve to serve them. Homeplace is ready to accommodate their technological needs when we open in 2021!
To contact the Homeplace of Henderson, email Jessica Beaven at jessica.beaven@homeplaceofhenderson.com or call at (270) 577-0534.