In our modern world, you really can’t thrive without having at least a slight understanding of technology. But unfortunately for many older people, they grew up in an age where the technology we have not simply wasn’t even an option. So to have to get used to it now can be a real challenge. Luckily, they have you here to help them.
If you have an elderly loved one that still needs to know how to use some forms of technology even when being stuck at home or in an assisted living facility, here are three tips for helping your elderly loved one learn how to use new tech.
Don’t Gloss Over The Details
If you were to be teaching someone younger and more familiar with technology about something new in the tech world, you’d likely be able to use all kinds of lingo and shortcuts in order to help them understand the small changes they’re needing to learn. But when someone doesn’t have the same basis of understanding as you do, as often happens with older people, you’ll need to make sure that you’re not glossing over any of the details.
To ensure that you don’t do this, start with the most basic of principles when learning new tech. While this might require you to go over things that you hadn’t anticipated having to explain or give the details on, only when your loved one has this foundational understanding can they hope to really learn and put into practice what you’re trying to teach them.
Practice Patience
Because you might have to go over principles that you feel as very basic, you may find that you get very impatient when the concepts aren’t easily picked up or understood. And along with this, you may also need to explain the same things over and over again until they finally click.
While this can be trying on your patience, it’s only when you’re able to be patient and take some of the stress off of the situation that you’ll find your elderly loved one really able to thrive at learning about new technology.
Only Teach What They Want To Know
Although you might be excited about the new tech that you’re trying to teach your loved one, it’s best to stick to the concepts or ideas that your loved one has expressed an interest in or that you know will be useful to them.
By only teaching these things to your elderly loved one, you’ll keep from overloading them with more information than they want or can handle. Then, as they master these elements of the technology, you can consider adding more for them.
If you have an elderly loved one that’s wanting to learn how to use a new piece of technology, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you teach them effectively.