Medical Monday- Technology With Older Residents
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) - Most people are familiar with technology, though it can certainly create some challenges, especially for some older people. On this week’s Medical Monday Jonathon Eigenmann explains how technology can help older residents when navigating their health.
Technology can be frustrating, but even with that frustration there are many benefits. Jada Kuhn, Speech language pathologist with Northern Light AR Gould Hospital says technology can be beneficial for the older population’s health.
Jada Kuhn, Speech Language Pathologist: I think it’s a really good resource, especially for those who are experiencing those first stages of base memory loss and speech language pathologists work a lot with cognition; hence the brain, but we do a lot of different things like maintaining the memory, not necessarily bringing it back, but kinda keeping it where it is.
Some of the most beneficial apps come right on your phone, such as the notes app so people can write things down to avoid forgetting them.
Kuhn: So there are a big three that are pretty popular. There’s Elevate, Lumosity and Peak. All three of those apps can be accessed on different kinds of devices, like tablets, or phones, but they all have different kinds of those brain stimulating games, that can be used to help kinda boost memory or a keep it where it’s at. And some would think, oh how can a game help my memory, but a lot of them are structured to kinda challenge your brain and work those pathways that aren’t always worked in just our everyday tasks. So, it kinda keeps everything moving up there.
In terms of finding the right device, Kuhn does have some recommendations.
Kuhn: I always recommend for seniors that are a little more comfortable with technology to get a tablet, i think tablets are a great resource, not only are they bigger then a phone and offer bigger reading size when it comes to the font. It also provides a little more like a book and i think sometimes the older population will kinda doubt me at first but then They’ll be reading E-books the next day. (dissovles to) It can really create a communication pathway so to say between friends and family that they may not always get to see, its especially good for seniors who don’t get out to travel as much or see family that is farther away.
If you have any questions about devices and how they can bolster memory, You can call the rehab department at Northern Light AR Gould. Kuhn Also recommends contacting customer service directly for any technological questions about your device.
Jonathon Eigenmann, Newssource 8.
Copyright 2022 WAGM. All rights reserved.
Gloss