Studies show that about 61% of seniors 65 or older have a smartphone. Smartphones have become an integral part of our lives, but their complex nature can make it difficult for senior citizens to use them.
Having a smartphone for the elderly focuses on the right customization options. By tweaking a few customizations, you can make a smartphone go from difficult and incomprehensible to a breeze to use. But how can you find the right options for a senior living with visibility or accessibility issues?
If you're curious about smartphones for the elderly, we're here to help. Read on to learn more about what options you can customize for your smartphone.
One of the first things to look into is the visibility customizations available. As many senior citizens suffer from difficulties with vision, knowing how to make their smartphone more visible is critical.
The first option you should look into is changing fonts. You can increase the size of the font to make it easy for seniors to see and read text.
However, making the font larger also means less text will fit on the page. Some long words may indent and come across several lines, depending on how large you've made the text. Speak with the phone's owner and see what a good size is for them.
Another option is to alter some colors and brightness. Making the phone brighter can make some things easier to see, but comes with some trade-offs.
A phone on full brightness isn't great for eye strain and health, for example, especially over long periods. It also can drain the battery faster if the brightness is always on max. Tweak these settings to your liking to maximize visibility and avoid the cons.
While making things easier to see is one version of accessibility, there's plenty more in your phone's settings. One notable feature is voice controls.
You'll need to set up voice controls and teach the phone's owner how best to use them. These can help with dictating text or opening apps.
Another voice-related usage is to let the phone read text off of the screen for the user. However, you should also have headphones, as this can prove obnoxious to other people.
Fingerprint locking can also help you unlock your phone more easily. Doing so can avoid some typing and help a senior get straight into their phone. For someone struggling with common senior health problems like arthritis, this cuts down on typing.
Did you know that senior citizens are significantly more likely to be injured in a fall compared to others? When a medical emergency occurs, a medical ID is a crucial thing to have.
Your phone's medical ID works as a quick identification of your medical conditions. These may include recurring injuries, medical illnesses, medication, and more. A medical ID can be a lifesaver when you're relying on emergency aid.
Elders should make sure that they've set up their medical ID in case of emergency. The process is quick, easy, and can help immensely in the future.
What sorts of restrictions should you put into your senior's phone? Senior care sometimes requires you to restrict things that can be dangerous or troublesome. Here are some restrictions you may look into on a smartphone for the elderly.
One restriction you may want to look into is limiting "screen time." Screen time is how long the user is looking at the phone. It's a common restriction for teens, but it's just as useful for adults and seniors.
The most important time to set a limit is during the evenings. That's because staring at the phone is proven to make it more difficult to rest and fall asleep.
Speak with the phone's user and see what sort of restrictions they approve of. Cutting downtime on the phone can encourage more healthy activity and exercise.
However, make sure there are overrides in case of emergency. You also shouldn't let screen time restrictions get in the way of phone calls from loved ones. Regulating screen time doesn't have to be fully restrictive.
Another great way to customize your phone is to remove unwanted apps and features that may get in the way of the user. These may include built-in features that aren't helpful or apps the user accidentally downloaded.
Removing apps is easy, but don't remove them without the phone owner's permission. Discuss with them which apps aren't necessary so that their phone has more memory and they aren't accidentally opening these apps. Removing useless or dangerous apps is crucial to aged care.
One excellent feature is to set up call shortcuts for the senior. These shortcuts are effectively the modern version of speed dial.
Call shortcuts will help them call people that they frequently speak to so that they don't have to navigate to contacts each time. Speak to the senior about their contacts list and decide who should have a call shortcut.
Finally, one thing that many smartphone manufacturers have begun to use is a "senior mode" or "easy mode." These modes make it easier for seniors to launch the phone and get into using it.
One feature that's common here is facial ID and fingerprinting. These features allow the user to bypass the password, which is ideal for users who have memory issues that make remembering a password difficult.
An easy mode may also streamline usage, have a pre-set font that makes it easier to see, and more. It ranges heavily depending on the manufacturer and is also often customizable, so you'll have no trouble making the perfect launch settings.
Finding a smartphone for the elderly should start with looking at what features and services the user wants most. Once you have the phone, consider accessibility changes like fonts, brightness, call shortcuts, and more. You should also manage screen time to help with battery usage and eye strain.
At Woodbury Mews, we're passionate about giving you and your loved ones the most comfortable living arrangements. Our expert staff help with fitness, planned activities and events, dining, transportation, and more. Contact us to see how we can help you make the most of your retirement today.