Think of three elderly individuals you know. They may be your parents, grandparents, neighbors or other relatives and friends. What does their relationship with technology look like?

Grandpa bangs away at the proudly preserved typewriter in his living room, resisting all contact with the newfangled devices his children and grandchildren are obsessed with. No weekend meetings with the grandkids on zoom and no online ordering when the ache in his back acts up. Max and Martha help with the finances and the family does their best to visit and keep his loneliness at bay.

Elderly Lynn next door, on the other hand, has embraced online banking, shopping, candy crush competitions, and videoconferencing with her children living overseas. She even took advantage of her earlier senior years to hire a teacher and learn how to navigate these software and devices. She enjoys the independence and camaraderie that is now hers, as she maintains control over her personal finances and remains in touch with family and friends.

Practical Limitations//Seniors and Software

Despite the benefits of independence and human connection technology offers them, there are a couple of important issues which often crop up when elderly individuals handle technology.

Common Practical Problems:

Passwords and Updated Software Interfaces
 The need to remember and periodically update passwords, and navigate new interfaces presents a challenge for those struggling with fading memory.

Small Text and Low Volume

This makes reading and listening difficult for those with any degree of hearing and/or vision impairment.

Tiny buttons and Touchscreen

These factors make typing and navigation a struggle for those dealing with a very common condition called ‘leathery fingers’.

Helpful tips to limit physical difficulties:

• • Choose strong, familiar passwords.
• • Create passwords that contain words that are significant and/or memorable to the individual, including numbers and/or special characters. i.e.the name of a past pet or location, plus a related number or special character.
• • Refrain from using their name, phone numbers, or an easy set of numbers like 1234 as a password.
• • When possible, create a pattern of numbers or special characters that can be continued each time the password is reset. i.e. daisy1!, daisy2!, daisy3!
• • If easier to locate, it is okay to write passwords down on a paper and keep them in a safe place.
  

Adjust Device Settings.

• Most devices include the option to increase the text size, audio volume, and even screen brightness.

Increased Security Risk//Seniors and Scamming

Technology will remain a double-edged sword, delivering both ease and hazard. Still, when seniors are behind the screen, the danger increases.

Senior Scam Targeting

Because seniors are a more trusting and vulnerable population, they tend to be prime targets for social media and general scam ploys. In fact, according to the FBI, due to their shame – as well as their fear of losing the independence of handling their own finances – seniors are also less likely to report and investigate incidents. And the bad guys seem to be very aware of that.

Another attractive point in their ‘favor’ is that scammers believe those in the older population own retirement cash, home equity, or good credit rating and hope to gain access to it.

Increased Tech Support Fraud

These ploys often include a click-trigger on the computer which seems like a problem pop-up and include a phone number or link to contact for help. Or, phone scammers ask for remote access to their computer or other device in order to ‘fix’ an issue, and steal sensitive information like account passwords or credit card data while ‘working’.

How to minimize scamming power:

Here are some simple ideas to help protect your loved ones from being scammed while empowering them to be actively involved in ensuring their safety:

Don’t Download.

• Teach your parents or grandparents not to open unexpected or unfamiliar attachments and be careful with forwarded attachments in general.

Don’t Share.

• Discuss never sharing personal and sensitive information over the internet, phone, email, or snail mail, unless they are sure who the company is and why the data is needed.

Activate Computer Protection Software.

• Make sure their computers and devices used have an up-to-date anti-virus, security, and malware software.

Set Banking Safeguards.

• To ensure financial decisions are sound, set up monitored spending limits and alerts so you can be informed of the goings-on without intruding.

Enable Pop-up Blockers.

• This will remove one of the available scammer entryways.

Avoid Spam Emails.

• If you’re not sure about the trustworthiness of a promotional email, simply unsubscribe.

Protecting with Sensitivity

Many a shrewd and savvy elderly individual, while unable to be fooled just a short while earlier, becomes susceptible to technological ploys of an industry that is developing far faster than he or she can possibly keep up with. Thus, care should be taken to keep your loved one’s dignity and independence intact while implementing the above practical solutions to protect them from technical and scamming difficulties. 

If you’re looking for information about helping your loved one qualify for and maximize Medicaid benefits, Senior Planning Services can help. Contact us today to learn more. We have offices in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, and we offer assistance across the U.S.