👋 Helping a Loved One with Tech? This is for You

Frank Bravo 0:08
Welcome to Your Tech Makeover, the podcast that gives you tips and tricks to help you simplify and get more out of the technology in your life. I'm your host, Frank Bravo. Whether you're the family IT expert like I am, or someone who still refers to the television remote as the clicker, you're in the right place. Today, you and I are diving into a topic that bridges generation, helping seniors feel more comfortable with technology. If you've got parents, grandparents, or a neighbor who stares at their smartphone like a ticking time bomb while this episode is for you. And if you are that person, don't worry. We're keeping things pretty easy, practical, and even a little fun. So let's face it technology is not always intuitive. Most seniors didn't grow up with Google in their pockets. So when they're handed a slick slab of glass and told, just tap on that icon, it's like being given a spaceship without a manual. Something that it also doesn't come with anymore. But here's the thing. Technology can be incredibly empowering for older Americans and older adults. Whether you're FaceTiming grandchildren or you're managing your health appointments or even learning some new technology, online tech help seniors stay connected, engaged, and independent. And if you're someone supporting loved ones on this journey, your role is very vital. And we'll talk about exactly how you can make it easier. So let's start with the foundation, the devices. If you're helping someone choose tech that is user friendly. These are some good picks. To start with. You might want to start with a tablet like an iPad. There are big screens. Intuitive layouts are built in so that they are easier to use. They also have built in accessibility options and are a great place to start for more most people. But you also may want to simplified smartphone something like a jitterbug Smart if somebody's never used a smartphone before, has really large buttons and is pretty easy to navigate. That may be a great thing to start with. Another good choice is a smart speaker like Alexa, Google Nest, or an Apple HomePod. They're fantastic for hand free use and can do everything from the basics like what time is it and what weather is it going to be today to way more complex things and even things like music and playlists. But a quick tip before you hand over a piece of technology, make sure you take a few minutes to set things up for the person that you're giving the device to because, you know you might want to update the text to make it larger. If the person is hard to seeing, you may want to change the high contrast settings, and you also may want to enable voice controls. These are small adjustments that can help make a big difference in the first tap for that user. So what if you have the device all set up and now it's time to load apps that actually matter. There are lots and lots of them out there, as you know. And just because I'm going to mention some here doesn't mean it's the best place to start. But here's a couple of apps that you may want to consider adding. I would start with some communication apps to begin with. Obviously, Apple devices come with FaceTime, but you can add zoom or WhatsApp. There's straightforward ways to stay in touch. And for older people, usually Facebook is the social media platform that they're on. So you may want to add Facebook as well. Instagram is another great platform to add as far as wealth, health, wealth, wealth. Apps are another thing you may want to add. If somebody feels comfortable adding wealth apps to their devices, you know whoever their financial provider is, they may have an app that you can add for them. You can also add health and wellness apps. Something like meta Safe or Mychart are great things to add that keep track of appointments and medical records. You also want to make sure you show them where the flashlight is and if there's a magnifier on it, because those are experience. Those are very handy. I use mine all the time actually. Other fun and learning apps that you may want to make sure they are aware of are things like Audible or Libby for audiobooks. YouTube is a great place for people to watch videos, word with friends or some other social gaming type platform. And of course, make sure you know where the podcast app is and make sure they can subscribe to your tech makeover.com. A quick shout out to listeners like you who help make your take back over possible. Your support helps keep this podcast going and I truly appreciate it. Want to contribute? Just click the link in the show notes or visit your Tech makeover.com plus as a special thank you, supporters who give $25 or more will get $25 off a one time consultation with me to help you simplify your tech. Thanks for being part of the Your Tech Makeover community. Now back to what I was saying. So now for the most important part, if you're giving somebody a device, make sure they feel confident. Start with small things. Teach them one skill at a time, like maybe send a text or make a call, or send a photo or take a photo. That's a good place to start with the device. Make sure if they're a learner who likes to take notes, that they take notes. Things might be easy for you, but simple step by step cheat sheets can be a life saver and celebrate a win. You know, if somebody makes a video call, that may seem like a small deal to you, but it's a huge deal, so make sure it feels like one. And remember, it's all about patience and encouragement. If someone goes wrong or something does do the way that you think they should, remind them it's not just them. Technology throws curveballs at all of us. Even I sometimes I'm like, what am I doing here? So these are all great things, but let's run through some of the typical hurdles that you bite find when you're dealing with this kind of technology. The first is their fear of breaking things. I always make sure that it's okay, that they are fully aware that there's very, very, very few things they can do to actually break things. Passwords is another thing that they may have questions about. You've heard me talk about passwords before on this podcast and what good password management means. So if you're setting somebody up for the first time from the start, it's important to help that person understand the best things about passwords. Make sure they're aware of scams. There's a lot of scams out there, and I've talked about that on this podcast as well. Teach them to be skeptical about an unexpected emails, calls or text and have make sure they also know to double check with someone they trust. I have a lot of clients who email me all the time when they get something that they're unsure about. I do that for them so that they know that they are safe, and I can confirm if they're scams or not. The next thing that you want to make sure that you set up is sinking. So if you're using an iPhone, make sure it's set up to sync to iCloud. If you're using the Android device. Make sure it's synced up with Google. That helps keep the contacts, photos, and files all in sync, which will make your job easier in the long run. So I wanted to share a little personal bit of history. Back in the 1990s, I taught my first ever tech class at the San Carlos Senior Center here in San Carlos, California, where I live. The courses they were, how to use a mac and how to use the internet. In some cases, I was talking to people who had never touched a computer before. I mean, remember, this is the early 1990s and honestly, I was amazed to watch them step through a world with both curiosity and bravery. One comment I got after one of my classes was one of the people came up to me and said, oh my gosh, you must be a great teacher, because if you can explain this stuff to seniors and help them make sense of it, you must know what you're talking about. That feedback for me planted the seed for what has become my passion. Making tech simple and practical for everyone. And it's really the backbone of this podcast. So if you're helping someone in your life, remember these four things. Be patient and don't rush. Make it personal. Make sure they know how to use the photos to find the photos of their grandkids, or watch their favorite show online. Repeat the things and reinforce it. You know, a refresher sometimes is a good place to start and give thoughtfully. You are giving the gift of tech. Preload some of that up and set it up first, so that they are feeling empowered to do the stuff that they need to do with the technology. Technology shouldn't feel scary or out of reach, and it's never too late to learn something new. Whether you're a senior starting your tech journey, or you're someone helping a loved one, remember the progress is what's count, not the perfection. So what's your experience with helping seniors learn technology or you learning technology yourself? Let me know. And as always, if you have ideas for topics that you'd like me to cover, please feel free to contact me via email at Frank at your Tech makeover.com. That's it for now. Thanks for listening to your tech makeover, if you haven't already. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast in your favorite podcast platform so that you don't miss an episode. And if you liked this episode, make sure you like it in your podcast platform as well. You can check out more at your textbook overcome. That's where you'll find more information about this episode and other episodes that I've recorded. And if you want to find out more about me, you can always visit. Bravo! It's dot com. Until next time, I'm Frank Bravo, and this has been your tech makeover.