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Aging Parents:  Older Adult Perspectives

The Impact Theme series: Longevity Explorers Discuss.

Lots of us worry about our parents as they age, and how we can help them. 

Our Longevity Explorer community explores topics like:

  • are we meant to become like parents to our parents;
  • the fine balance between helping and bossing;
  • when should they stop driving?
  • how to help them manage their medications;
  • can telepresence help stay in touch;
  • and more.

 

Hear what Older Adults Think: Aging Parents

Spends too Much Time on the Couch

If you are looking for a way to help grandpa in remembering to get up and stretch, I have a solution for you. In fact, I’m guilty of spending most of my day on the couch and use this solution to remind me to get up and stretch at least once an hour. I’ve been using this for about a year now and...

Read: "Spends too Much Time on the Couch"

 

Spends too Much Time on the Couch

 

Idea / Challenge

By: claudiacapo

Hi there! I want to start off by saying that if it wasn't for this community and the instructions on how to use the Amazon Echo and set up the device for a person without a smartphone, my family and I wouldn't have been able to interact with my father this past year while he was in skilled care... Read More. Add your Opinions

 

Ideas for Alexa skills or routines to keep my Dad engaged

By: Allynn

I'm giving Dad a couple of Alexa Echos for Christmas (he has a big house and is hard of hearing).  I'm trying to find some good skills and maybe set up some routines to get him to actually engage with the devices.  I was thinkng of creating a morning routine that includes a greeting, the weather... Read More. Add your Opinions

 

Tech Support: How Do You Do It?

By: tel-editors

 How do you keep your gadgets and computers working?

Our explorers are talking about this topic, and comparing notes. Join the discussion. Share what you do in the comments... Read More. Add your Opinions

 

Simple Shared Calendaring for Distant Parent

It's a common situation: an aging parent starts needing help from family members organizing things like doctors visits, or other care-related or social activities. How do you set up and maintain some type of mutually convenient, calendaring solution that maintains the right balance between "...

Read: "Simple Shared Calendaring for Distant Parent"

 

Simple Shared Calendaring for Distant Parent

 

Forgets to Wash Hands, Flush Toilet

My mother (with dementia) wakes up often in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and forgets to wash her hands/flush the toilet. She often forgets during the day as well.

Read: "Forgets to Wash Hands, Flush Toilet"

 

Forgets to Wash Hands, Flush Toilet

 

Need Help Making Alexa Useful

I am setting up Alexa for my parent who lives at a distance. I am unsure what features to include, or how to set it up so it is as useful as possible.

Read: "Need Help Making Alexa Useful"

 

Need Help Making Alexa Useful

 

Want Joint Activity with Distant Relative

Your parent or relative lives far from you, or for whatever reason in person visits are not realistic.

You have a way to talk with them via video already. But now you want something you can actually DO together "virtually".

Read: "Want Joint Activity with Distant Relative"

 

Want Joint Activity with Distant Relative

 

Parent's Computer or Phone "Not Working"

Helping family members who are technology-adverse, with their technical problems, has always been tough, but becomes even harder when they are remotely located or in an isolated facility. Part of the problem of remote support is “seeing” what they are seeing and “controlling” what they are doing...

Read: "Parent's Computer or Phone "Not Working""

 

Parent's Computer or Phone "Not Working"

 

TV Too Loud Due To Hearing Loss

My Dad’s hearing is getting bad and it upsets my Mom when he blasts the TV. He has a hearing aid and will NOT wear a headset.

Read: "TV Too Loud Due To Hearing Loss"

 

TV Too Loud Due To Hearing Loss

 

Vision Problems: TV Action When Not Talking

Since my Mom’s vision is failing, she has a hard time understanding what is happening in a TV show when the actors are not speaking, In some shows there are long dramatic pauses or just action noises.

Read: "Vision Problems: TV Action When Not Talking"

 

Vision Problems: TV Action When Not Talking

 

Staying in Touch: Parents in Lockdown

By: tel-editors

It's a pretty common scenario at present. Your elderly parent, who lives at home — or in a nice senior living facility — is under "lockdown" for the foreseeable future. You can't visit. They are not super tech-savvy and don't regularly use Facetime, or Skype, or Zoom. And you are wondering what... Read More. Add your Opinions

 

Who Decides It's Time to Stop Driving? And How?

The Explorer Circle takes on the question of driving cessation from first-hand experiences with parents and personal observation.

Listen to: "Who Decides It's Time to Stop Driving? And How?"

 

Who Decides It's Time to Stop Driving? And How?

 

Neglected in the Corner: I Don't Want That to be Me

A Tech-enhanced Life member writes in from the Internet to ask how to avoid this horrible fate. Some answers start to emerge but it needs more thought.

Listen to: "Neglected in the Corner: I Don't Want That to be Me"

 

Neglected in the Corner: I Don't Want That to be Me

 

On-demand Handyman: Wanted

An explorer poses the question: "how can I get an "on demand" superintendent / concierge to help with everyday tasks?". Discussion follows.

Listen to: "On-demand Handyman: Wanted"

 

 

Nuisance Phone Calls: How explorers stop them

Commonwealth Club Longevity Explorers discuss the ubiquitous nature of nuisance calls from phone banks and computers, and how to avoid unscrupulous callers.

Listen to: "Nuisance Phone Calls: How explorers stop them"

 

 

Telepresence Robots - our future connections?

On January 21, 2015 we held our Aging In Place Technologies Meet-up at the Beam virtual presence store in Palo Alto. This is the place to capture your comments and feedback, and see how others enjoyed it and read what they learned.

Listen to: "Telepresence Robots - our future connections?"

 

Telepresence Robots - our future connections?

 

About the Impact Theme Series

Our Longevity Explorers (hundreds of older adults with ages ranging from 60-95 years old) meet regularly to discuss topics at the intersection of aging and technology.

Among the many topics we discuss in these meetings, we have been exploring some specific themes which we think are going to be very important for older adults in the future, and which in our opinion are ripe for innovation. These make up our Impact Themes, and Aging Parents is one of these themes.

In these discussions:

  • We share how we do things today;
  • We explore and critique existing products;
  • We talk about challenges we have that we wish products could solve; and
  • We dream up product concepts we wish someone like you would develop.

If you are developing products or services for older adults in the category of Aging Parents, listen to the Longevity Explorer discussions on this page to get insights about how to develop better products and services for older adults.

More Explorer Discussions

 

Researcher Membership

Some of the discussions require a premium Researcher Membership to listen to the audio recording.

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Topics (broader coverage of this theme): 
Social & Family, Helping elderly parents