Every day new technology is developed. But the more technology-driven our world becomes, the more dangerous it can feel. Technology for older adults can be a powerful tool. Yet, you don’t have to look very far to find examples of the ways it can cause harm. In an increasingly online world, embracing technology is important. But, using it safely is also becoming more and more important, especially for older adults.
Technology can seem synonymous with the internet. But it can also include different devices, equipment, and tools. For older adults, technology can even promote independence and improve connection. Both of which are good for supporting overall wellbeing – especially mental and physical wellbeing. Technology for older adults comes with it’s own unique benefits and dangers. Plus, there are specific ways older adults can ensure they stay safe online. Even senior living communities can be full of technology for older adults.
Benefits of Technology for Older Adults
Technology doesn’t have to be the enemy! Used safely, technology can enhance daily life. Before focusing on its pitfalls and dangers, it’s helpful to understand its benefits. When it comes to technology for older adults, new developments are being made all the time. From adaptive technologies to social ones, technology for older adults can help with independence and connection.
Independence
One of the biggest benefits of technology for older adults is the way it supports independence. Often, technology is designed to make everyday life easier. Each with a different focus and purpose. But, it isn’t always high tech. When it comes to assistive devices for older adults, sometimes the simpler technologies are better. Many times, these technologies can help older adults live more independently for longer.
Common assistive devices that can help older adults maintain their independence include:
- Chair lift
- Wireless TV headphones
- Medical alert devices
- Bed handle
- Button hook
Other common technologies that can support independence for older adults include:
- Automatic pill dispensers can make medication management a breeze when you don’t have to worry about remembering to take your pills.
- Smart watches can monitor vital signals like your heart rate, and some can even detect falls.
- Kitchen appliance sensors and add-ons that ensure the stove is never accidentally left on.
- Robot vacuums keep your floors clean, eliminating possible trip hazards, and you never have to lift a finger.
- Voice-activated assistants, like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri, can give you reminders or answer your questions at the drop of a hat. Plus, these can be paired with smart home devices, like lightbulbs, thermostats, door locks, and more. Once it’s set up, your wish is its command. Just say “Hey, Alexa/Google/Siri lock the front door,” and the door will lock itself.
Connection
Just because you can have technology do some things for you doesn’t mean you don’t need other people. Social connection is still crucial. But, thankfully, technology can make staying connected easier. With cellphones, friends and loved ones are just a call or a text away. On a smartphone, you can make the text as big or as small as you want or need, and adjust things like brightness and contrast. With newer hearing aide technology, many older adults can use Bluetooth to connect their hearing aides to their phone. You’ll be able to hear the person on the other end crystal clear without worrying about the feedback that’s commonly associated with hearing aides.
Email and social media sites, like Facebook, are also great way for older adults to stay connected through technology. However, with these it is especially important to know how to stay safe while being connected.
Dangers of Technology for Older Adults
It’s no secret that technology can be dangerous. But the dangers shouldn’t outweigh the benefits. Knowing what the dangers of technology for older adults are is the first step to staying safe online. The biggest dangers of technology for older adults can be lumped into two categories: getting scammed and being hacked.
Scams
The best scams revolve around a convincing story. It might start as phone calls, emails, letters, or messages on social media sites, like Facebook. They may pretend to be someone you know, like your grandchild, and say they’re in trouble and need your help. They may start by trying to convince you that you know them because you go to the same church or community events, or that you went to the same school as children. One popular story that is used by scammers is pretending to be a Nigerian prince.
The basis of a scam is someone pretending to be someone they aren’t and convincing you to send them money. They may ask you to send cash or gift cards, or to wire transfer funds to them. The scammers ultimate goal is to steal. Unfortunately, once money is sent once, they will keep asking for more. They may even start to make threats if the money isn’t sent. According to the FBI, in 2023, an average of $33,915 was stolen from an older adult as the result of a scam. In total, scammers stole more than $3.4 billion from older adults in 2023.
But, you don’t have to fall victim to a scammer. With a few safety tips, discussed later, you can detect scams. The more likely you are to know something is a scam, the more likely you’ll be able to avoid it. The best tip: be suspicious of anyone asking for money. Especially if they tell you someone is in danger. If you think someone may be attempting to scam you, report it to the police.
Hacking
If you’re in a situation where you’re getting scammed, you’re usually providing someone with something they asked for. But, if you’re being hacked, someone is finding what they want on their own and taking it. Most of the time, being hacked starts by clicking on a link.
A hacker might send you something that looks convincing, like an email or a text saying you owe a company money or a bank saying money is owed to you. It includes a link, asking you to click on it to pay your bill, verify your information, or something else. As soon as you click the link, the hacker has access to your device, whether it’s a cell phone, tablet, or computer. Once they’re in, they can view all of your information. This includes passwords to your accounts, your banking information, and sometimes even other personal information like you social security number. Hackers generally want your information so they can steal from your financial accounts or, in some cases, to steal your identity.
The best way to avoid hackers is to never click on a link from someone you don’t know. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between an email from your actual bank and someone pretending to be your bank. In the next section, you will learn some of the red flags to watch for.
Avoid hacking
The best advice? When in doubt, make a phone call. If you receive an email from your bank, and you aren’t sure if it’s valid or safe, call them to ask about it before you click any links. Before you call, make sure you’re calling the right number. If you don’t know the phone number, look it up online, in a phone book, or on a piece of mail you’ve received in the past, like a bank statement. If you did receive an email or text from a hacker, they may have included their own phone number and made it look like it was the one associated with the company.
How Older Adults Can Stay Safe Online
For many, the benefits of technology far outweigh the dangers. Especially for older adults who can use it to maintain their independence and improve their social connections. They key is making sure that you know how to keep yourself safe online.
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Don’t share personal information.
It probably makes sense not to share information like your social security number online. What’s harder to remember is not sharing seemingly harmless information. Many people use personal information in their passwords, such as their wedding anniversary or a child’s birthday. Those passwords are easy to crack, but they’re even easier when you willingly share the information online. Think about the last account you created online. It probably asked you to create security questions in case you forgot your password. The options typically include things like your first car, favorite color, or where you went to school. Most people wouldn’t think twice about sharing that information on social media or in a personal message to someone – especially if they think it’s someone they know. Scammers can be very convincing. Keep an eye out for anyone asking you for information about your life online.
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Stay Alert
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you get something telling you that you’ve won a contest, but you didn’t enter a contest, it’s more than likely a scamming or hacking attempt. It’s important to always keep your guard up when it comes to anything online. The federal government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency advises that any time someone is asking for money to be sent as a wire transfer or via gift cards it’s a red flag for a scam and recommend ending the conversation immediately. Another important tip they provide is to remember that it is easy for someone online to lie about their identity. Unless you are confident that someone online is someone you know in real life, don’t interact with them. You don’t have to accept every friend request on Facebook or respond to every personal message, email, or text message.
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Avoid clicking on anything suspicious
Clicking on links is one of the easiest ways to get hacked. It’s also one of the hardest to determine if something is legitimate or a scam. For starters, only click on links from someone you know and trust. Unfortunately, it’s easy for the bad guys to make their scams look legitimate. When it comes to emails, one of the best ways to spot if it’s from a trusted source is to look at the email address of who it is from. They may slightly change the domain, such as an email from Amazon having a domain of @info.amazon.com or @amazn.com, instead of just @amazon.com.
If the email address seems like it might be wrong, or the email seems like it is something the sender wouldn’t normally send, delete the message. If you think a link is legitimate, but aren’t quite sure, there are online tools you can use to determine if it’s safe. Some of the tools, like the link checker from Nord VPN, are even free to use.
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Have a trusted source of information and support for technology.
Technology changes every day. It’s hard to keep up with what’s new. And, as technology gets better and smarter, the bad guys find new ways to hack and scam. If you’re concerned about your safety online, it’s helpful to have someone you trust who can help you determine if something is an attempt to hack your device or scam you. As an older adult, this may be a child or grandchild who can help you navigate online safety.
If you live at a senior living community, there may be a staff member or fellow resident who can be your technology expert and answer your questions. Depending on where you are, your local senior center or library may even offer programs on technology and online safety. If you think someone is targeting you with a hacking or scamming attempt, contact your local law enforcement. Chances are, if someone is trying to target you, they’re trying to target others as well.
Technology in Senior Living
Used safely, the internet is a great way for older adults to stay connected. Plus, technology for older adults is continuously improving to promote better independence. There have also been advances in technology for senior living. Every community uses different technologies that support the daily lives of residents. When you’re looking at communities, ask questions about what kinds of technology they use to keep residents safe and encourage independence and connection. You can learn more about how The Ohio Masonic Communities utilizes innovative technologies in this episode of Senior Living Today.
At The Ohio Masonic Communities, we’re proud to use innovative technologies that help each of our residents thrive. We would love to show you what our campuses have to offer and answer your questions about technology. We have three senior living communities across the state of Ohio – Browning Masonic Community in Waterville, Ohio, Springfield Masonic Community in Springfield, Ohio, and Western Reserve Masonic Community in Medina, Ohio. If you are interested in learning more give us a call at 1 (877) 881-1623 or contact us here.