Grown children often live many miles away from their aging parents. Job opportunities are often global these days, and young people need to go where the jobs are. Parents often enjoy traveling to visit their grown children who have moved out of state and enjoy busy schedules with their own families and their work.
Frequently, as the parents begin to age, they find that they are unable to travel and most of the communication is done with the telephone. The parents, many of whom experienced the great depression, are often concerned about the cost, and think of the telephone as a devise for short messages only. Their calls have usually be only three to five minutes, certainly not long enough to replace a good day’s visit. And yet, their parents often worry about the cost of using the telephone and prefer to keep the long-distance calls to a minimum. If the parents become hard of hearing, it is even more challenging to have a satisfactory communication. If the parent later suffers from dementia or Alzheimer’s, communicating by telephone is frustrating for all.
Today, with the use of a computer equipped with a camera, a microphone and high speed internet access, video conferencing is possible. For those families that are separated by many miles, videoconferencing is a great way to stay connected and have face to face visits without traveling. Probably the most widely used is Skype to Skype video calls, which are completely free to users. There are many advantages to the elderly in using Skype videoconferencing in place of tradition telephone calls. The first and biggest advantage is getting to see the person they’re talking with. As an added bonus, they can see the surroundings; a family home, children playing, pets running through the room, etc. Family members can group by the telephone, and even the youngest child and the family pet can join the conversation. They say “a picture is worth a thousand words”, and video conferencing is one of the best examples. You can see someone wearing or using a gift you have recently sent and see from the expression on their face how much they really enjoy the gift. The use of video greatly enhances comprehension for those who are hard of hearing. And best of all, the basic service provided by Skype is free to the users.
One drawback to be overcome is that many elderly find computer use to be confusing and frustrating. Even those who used computers in their younger years may find that they no longer have the patience or desire to operate the computer. That’s where caregivers and younger family members can help.
Many health care providers and those who operate residential care facilities for the elderly are beginning to recognize the value of Skype and are making it available to their residents. Videoconferencing can help keep seniors connected to the world of family and friends when they are no longer able to travel and get out as they once did. Many residential homes for the elderly are providing computers with high speed internet access that can be used by the elderly for the video calls. There are often volunteers, local family members or even health workers who will help make the calls with the computer. This is most certainly a worth checking out and will bring joy to the face of a senior who can now fully enjoy a videoconferencing visit with family and friends.
Janet Smytherton has enjoyed working with the elderly for the past 20 years. Her focus is on providing our elderly with Quality Assisted Living Facilities. HerDirectory of Assisted Living Facilities in California is an online resource that does not require the user to give personal information.
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