Online Resources for Seniors: Staying Connected

In today’s digital world, a key way to stay connected is more important than ever. For seniors, introducing them to the online world can help them in multiple ways that sometimes carers and family members can’t. 

Having access to and understanding how to use your online resources can be the perfect opportunity for them to socialise, learn, and stay engaged, but it can also help with other things like reminders and so forth to help them with everyday life.

Social Media Platforms

Whether it be Facebook, Instagram or even Twitter, creating and engaging with like-minded people but also family members and friends allows you to get regular updates and communicate with them throughout the day without having to leave the comfort of your space.

Participating in online communities means you are able to connect with potentially hundreds of people who share the same interests, curating, cultivating and having interesting conversations about things you are actually interested in. This is good for the mind, body and soul to have people to not only relate to but have engaging conversations with that tickle the brain.

Share pictures and comments about how your days have been, which will encourage friends and family to reach out and also give them a good idea of how you are, which is important and what a lot of us miss when our grandparents or parents are older. Your family doesn’t always have the time to come to you so ensuring that you are giving some little picture updates really helps for both sides.

Learning and Educating

Just because you are a certain age doesn’t mean it’s too late to learn anything new and with the gift of online learning, you are able to train your brain and take it to the next level. Whether you want to take online classes or make the effort to learn a new topic every so often, you are keeping your brain active, which is also very rewarding.

Gaming and Entertainment

Having access to online resources means that there are multiple forms of alternative entertainment from general human interactions. There are hundreds of thousands of mobile gaming apps that are both fun, competitive and engaging, which can become some solid form of entertainment for hours if you get carried away or on a winning streak. 

Alternative apps have shopping ones that allow you to both window or real-life shop for yourself, friends and family without having to leave your home, which can be both convenient and entertaining for people. It’s nice to search for the perfect gift or even the perfect little black dress for the next family function.

Lastly, downloading things like Netflix or Disney+ gives you a vast amount of entertaining series and films to choose from whenever you feel like watching something new and maybe push the boat out and watch something you wouldn’t usually. These subscriptions are perfect for evenings when you want to relax or gain some serotonin from a classic comedy.

Communication

Having quick access to communicating with your friends and family is amazing, and having some form of online resource allows you to message FaceTime or even Skype with friends and family around the world. This is a great way to stay connected and have nice long catch-ups without having to sacrifice travel time. 

No matter the occasion or where you are, having access to a phone or tablet means you can have a face-to-face conversation with your family without either of you leaving your homes, which encourages you to remain close but is extremely beneficial to both sides.

Conclusion

By exploring these online resources, seniors can stay connected, entertained and engaged with the world around them without having to leave the safe confines of their space, which is not only perfect for seniors but is a great help to those who don’t have the luxury of being able to leave. 

Staying connected online is the whole purpose of why it has been created so it would be a shame to not make the most of it. With a little guidance from carers, friends and family, you can master the use of the digital world to your advantage, which offers you endless opportunities for learning, socialising and enjoying life.