With all the talk about the Internet and Facebook and Twitter, you’d think everyone was using technology to the max…and loving it.  Well, if you are a baby boomer or senior using technology but not so comfortable with it, you are not alone. 

A new survey from AARP about how people 50+ use social media and technology found that: 

*  Just 40% of adults age 50 feel comfortable using the Internet.

*  Most prefer getting their news from print newspapers and magazines (40%) or through a combination on print and online (26%0.

* About a quarter use social media websites (27%) with Facebook being the most popular.

* Among those who use social media – it’s all about connecting with family. 

So if you are in the “I’d like to get more comfortable with the Internet” camp, what can you do?  Especially if you are looking for a job, where being Internet savvy can be an important ingredient in finding the best positions for your skills.

 Here are some places to try: 

Your local senior center:  Many senior centers (don’t let the name keep you away many have classes open to those 50+) have computer labs and classes for all levels.

 Community colleges:  Check out non-credit programs at your community college.  They generally offer both online and offline courses that can help you build your computer knowledge and skills.

 Senior-net.  There are some SeniorNet centers where you can get hands on assistance, or check out their online classes. 

Friends, neighbors, family – sometimes you just need a helping hand or a quick tip to get you more confident.  It’s best to tap into those who are patient and good teachers – taking the mouse and showing you doesn’t usually help you learn how to navigate and become more comfortable.  In fact, the reason so many baby boomers and seniors use social media is to connect with friends and family.  So why not let them give you a helping hand?

YouTube – There are some great tutorials on YouTube from computer basics to smart searching techniques. 

Exploritas – if you’re looking for technology and travel try this website for classes that can help with some of the more advanced applications like digital photography.

Check with your community center or library for other classes in your area.  You don’t need to sign up for expensive online classes.

Technology promises to change the way we receive health care at home. That’s good news for the majority of us who say that home is where we want to be when the time comes to get a little help with every day life.

Last week the Senate Committee on Aging held hearings on broadband technologies in healthcare, particularly advances that are being made in mobile and wireless devices that can help the chronically ill.  

While some of it sounds like we’ve dropped into the old cartoon show The Jetson’s (bet you can hum the jingle –Here’s George Jetson…), the fact is that many of these technologies are in use or being tested and will soon hit the market. 

It’s call “e-care” which is short for electronic care that facilitates any kind of virtual visit or electronic connectivity outside of a traditional office.  It could mean secure text messaging between doctor and patient to change a medication dose, an audio chat or full video visit.  It could also mean using electronics to remind patients to take their medication, capture a vital sign or view customized information sent to them by their doctor, explain Eric Dishman from Intel.

 Imagine how many hours of sitting in doctor’s office’s could be saved! 

And, how many more people could truly stay at home even if they have a chronic medical condition that would otherwise have sent them to assisted living or a nursing home.  Dishman says 50% of care should be provided in the home by 2020.

What’s coming are things like a pill with a chip in it that can record when we took the medication (a real boost to medication adherence); and at home monitoring of vital stats while you are video conferencing with your doctor, and a censoring system that can detect falls and alert emergency personnel.

Pretty whiz-bang stuff that is moving more quickly into the marketplace than many of us realize.

For those planning for future long-term care needs, no doubt many of these technologies will not be inexpensive.  To keep current with the changes in long-term care, many of the long-term care policies now being sold have provisions for covering these types of new technologies that will help us stay at home.

What do you think about e-care?  Are you ready for it or worried about it?

 More resources about e-care.

Article on how the smart pill works

20 Biotech Breakthroughs from Popular Mechanic 

Committee on Aging testimony

Article from CNSNews.com on Electronic Health Technology

Are you on Facebook?  That’s the question more boomers and seniors are asking each other. Increasingly the answer to that question is “yes” with boomers and seniors among the fastest growing group of users.

Facebook, for those unfamiliar with it, is a social networking site lets you connect with friends all over the country – world actually – by sharing comments and pictures.

It’s an increasingly popular way for family members to stay connected.  You can find old friends and work colleagues.  And, you can follow celebrities, your favorite stores, and companies you like.   Some stores will use the site to post special offers and deals.  It can also be a way to get customer service assistance if you are not getting anywhere on the phone.

(See our Longevity Alliance page on Facebook.  Become a friend of Longevity Alliance and get updates on health, wealth and lifestyle information and share your ideas.)

Just as you do with any other website that holds your personal information, make sure you’re smart about what personal information you post and who has access to the information.

Here’s an article that provides tips on how to set your security settings on Facebook.  Even if you’ve been on Facebook you may find some of these tips helpful as the security settings changed recently.  Here’s a link to Facebook’s security site.

I just connected with work colleagues who I hadn’t seen in 20 years – fun to catch up and be reminded of people and events from a different time in your life.  Now it’s easier to stay in touch.  Last wedding I went to there were more boomers taking pictures and posting them to Facebook than 20+ year olds.  Even my dog has a Facebook page–and firends (both two-legged and four-legged).

What’s your experience been with Facebook?

Enjoy your breakfast and coffee while reading the news projected onto the wall.

Health check up at home in front of the computer instead of the doctor’s office.

Long-term care delivered at home with the help of special monitors and robots.

Sound far off?  Not so.

A new study about baby boomers and technology gives us a glimpse into how technology will impact our life in the future, whether it is our health, our money, long-term care, or how we access news and engage with family and friends.

And, most baby boomers are not only okay with that, but embracing the changes that technology brings. 

One myth of aging exploded. 

Rather than technology dodgers, the author of the report (from AARP and Microsoft) Michael  Rogers sees baby boomers as ready to use technology to help create the lives they want. 

 Read an interview with Rogers here.

 Here’s how the report predicts we’ll be using technology in 2019:

 Digital Fitness – sensor equipped exercise clothing to keep track of our physical condition while we work out.

Chip Me, Doc – electronic health records will be commonplace while we use digital diagnostic devices to upload weight, blood pressure etc.

New News – forget the paper – we’ll red the news on mobile devices and sophisticated e-readers.

Goodbye to Tiny Screens – mobile phones with built-in projectors –push a button and see the image on the wall.

Social Networks– Social networks (like Facebook) will keep us connected to children, grandchildren in meaningful ways. Personal videoconferencing will be commonplace.

Employment, Boomer-style– forget the office, and stay connected through telepresence – full or part-time as retirement is redefined.

Parents- Boomers will lead the aging-in-place movement with their parents, using technology such as smart sensors in the home to provide updates that all is well.

Money to Go – Mobile devices will become both credit card and cash equivalent.

Video Game Fever– Motion sensing game consoles makes us video gamer regulars.  More sports following up on the popularity of Wii, but with real sports equipment.

 You can read the full report here.  

One thing about technology is how much we all like to share about how we are using technology to improve our lives and keep in contact with family and friends.  At Longevity Alliance, we hear it on the phones from our clients all the time –PDF not paper please!

Bet it’s hard to think of the last time you searched for a phone book or made a major purchase without doing some upfront research online.

And Facebook has reopened friendships long thought lost and strengthened family connections – especially among the younger and older generations.

What do you think?  How has technology improved your life?  What about the future?

We‘ve all heard about e-mail scams that can bring a crippling virus to your computer or put you at risk for identity theft or losing money.  But, when that e-mail pops into your inbox, it sure can look official –especially if it is attached to a government agency or well-known financial institution.

Such an email dropped into my email box today.  It looked so official.  A message from the IRS about under-reported income and fraud. An IRS return address, the IRS’s logo. Uh oh– did I forget to do something?

Then, I remembered –no way would the IRS have this e-mail address.  And wouldn’t they mail me such information – not use email? 

So, I went to a favorite site about rumors and scams, SNOPES, typed in the subject of the email and sure enough – a scam it was.  The subject line said “Notice of Underreported Income”.  Be careful if it ends up in your email box.

Snopes.com said it was a mass e-mailing.  Click on the link to “tax statements” it leads to an .EXE file that was likely a carrier of some form of malware.  Disaster averted.  But, a good reminder to always check before clicking if you have any doubts.  Just type the subject line into Google and it can lead you to sites that help you identify whether it is a scam. Or try a site like snopes.com. 

It must be a good time of year for scams.  FINRA (the Financial Industry Regularity Authority) has been running television adds warning about investment scams.  The FINRA website has an alert about a new email scam promising $1.5 million from “auction rate securities.”  Sure looks official – but it’s a “Phishing” scam, too.

 If you ever get a call or email about an investment opportunity, try their “scam meter” –just four quick questions to help you judge whether it’s red flag worthy.

Pass this on to others, especially older adults, who might be more trusting about emails they receive—especially if they appear to be from the government or a financial institution. 

Just for the record – here’s what the IRS says about how it communicates with taxpayers:

The IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through e-mail.

• The IRS does not request detailed personal information through e-mail.
• The IRS does not send e-mail requesting your PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.
• Report suspicious e-mails and bogus IRS Web sites to phishing@irs.gov.

If you receive an e-mail from someone claiming to be the IRS or directing you to an IRS site,

• Do not reply.
• Do not open any attachments. Attachments may contain malicious code that will infect your computer.
• Do not click on any links.

While Congress tackles issues of health care reform, companies are testing technology that will truly change the way we receive health care and long-term care as we age.  Some are simple brain-games that keep our mind sharp. Other companies, such as GE and Intel are looking at how we can monitor chronic conditions at home and send regular updates to our doctors.

 This article, Intel WantsYou to Age Gracefully, at Home, provides a good sense of the way we may interact with the health care system in the future.  One of the most exciting benefits is that more of us will be able to age at home – where research continually confirms we want to stay as we get older.

If you are interested in this topic and the companies that are bringing innovation to this market, check out the new special report from Business Week.

And, here’s a tip if you are shopping for long-term care insurance.  Many long-term care insurance plans now have  provisions for advances that may be made in care and provide guidance for how these new technologies would be covered under a long-term care insurance plan.  If staying at home and independent is important to you, ask whether your long-term care insurance plan will allow you to take advantage of advances in technology.

If you are seeking assistance now for an aging parent or friend, find out if the assisted living or nursing home you are considering uses technology to monitor residents and communicate with physicians or plans to in the future.

When a loved one falls, you can see the physical injuries—but the emotional injuries are often just as severe. New technology may help those recovering from a fall feel more confident and be more active.

 More than 25 percent of elderly limit their activities after a fall, refusing to go on walks outside, or visit friends out of the fear they may fall again. Home monitoring – being able to track a person’s movement and get them help when they need it – is an important advancement since it has the potential to reduce cost of care and keep more people at home longer.

 Falling is the leading cause of death from injury for people age 65 and older.

 You have probably seen the advertisements for Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) like the one that says “Help I’ve fallen and can’t get up”. While this technology has advanced over the past few years, it requires the individual to wear a button that they can push to get assistance.  A monitoring box in the home picks up the alert and calls the emergency response center. 

 The next generation of home monitoring systems is far more advanced.  Sensors attached to the wall are able to register activities in the home, such as when the person gets out of bed and whether she stops at her medication dispenser, and can alert loved ones to deviations in routine that might indicate an accident or illness. The caregiver is updated by an electronic computer report every morning.

Monitoring systems such as these aren’t found in many homes yet. And for some, privacy is an issue.  But this type of system can bring peace of mind to long-distance caregivers and continued independence to an older person.  The basic package can range from $50 to $85 a month for the motion sensors and remote monitoring system.

Paying for a System

A PERS can be purchased, rented or leased.  Neither Medicare nor Medicaid (in most states) will pay for the equipment, not will most insurance companies.  Purchasing generally costs between $200 and $1500 plus a monthly fee of from $10-$50.

For individuals with long-term care insurance, some policies allow you to use your benefits to pay for “transition” assistance.  It may also include minor home modifications that assist you in staying at home longer. Check your long-term care policy or call your insurer.  If you are purchasing long-term care insurance and staying at home for as long as possible is important to you, check to see if your policy includes a transition expense allowance.

 Here are some tips from the FTC   if you are shopping for a PERS.

• Check out several systems before making a decision.
• Find out if you can use the system with other response centers. For example, can you use the same system if you move?
• Ask about the pricing, features, and servicing of each system and compare costs.
• Make sure the system is easy to use.
• Test the system to make sure it works from every point in and around your home. Make sure nothing interferes with transmissions.
• Read your purchase, rental, or lease agreement carefully before signing
• Ask if the monitoring center is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
• Ask about the average response time and staff training.