Posted: July 27th, 2011
Our Chief Business Development Officer, Gal Har-Zvi, was recently interviewed by Ryan Malone regarding Seniorama. Ryan is the creator of the “by families, for families” approach to elder care which teaches families how to make elder care a positive experience. He is the author of several elder books, a frequent public speaker and marketing consultant.
There is so much innovation in senior care right now. Much is being created along the care side, but few companies have dared to propose new technology directly to seniors.
It’s a tough nut to crack. Even thought seniors are getting more comfortable with technology, it still takes a special solution to be able to make technology engaging and useful.
I had the chance to speak to Gal Har-Zvi of Softrama, the makers of Seniorama Pointer 2011. It’s a software application that transforms your existing computer into a senior-friendly operating system. Below is the transcript of our interview with some screenshots of the application at the end of the interview.
You can read the full interview on Ryan’s website. Ryan also agreed to give our readers this coupon code for his great books – TWENTYOFF.
Posted: July 3rd, 2011
By Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. and Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D.
Have you found this article by surfing the Internet for topics of interest? Or responded to a Google Alert about a subject that concerns you – brainpower, aging parents, growing children, nourishing relationships, family conflicts, Sandwiched Boomers? If so, congratulations, you’re boosting the performance of your brain!
According to a recent study, a team of UCLA scientists found that middle aged and older adults who search the Internet, using the web on a regular basis, activate brain centers necessary for complex reasoning and decision-making. Exercising the brain in this way – making decisions about what to click on to continue the search – engages brain circuit connections and improves mental functioning.
During an assigned Internet search, study participants with considerable online experience sparked two times as much brain activity on MRI scans as those with little prior web experience. The MRI indicated more brain activity was engaged during the Internet search than during a book-reading task. When the less web-savvy volunteers completed online searches at home, their MRI scans two weeks later indicated brain activation patterns similar to the more experienced volunteers. So, take heart – enjoy the Internet and let your brain light up!
Have you been thinking about additional ways to maintain your mental vitality? Use your creativity as you plan new ways to challenge your brain cells. Here are 7 tips to follow as you exercise your brain to keep it active and dynamic:
1. Exercise your brain with mental aerobics just as you do your body. The Seattle Longitudinal Study found that 66% of older Americans doing brain exercise activities had significant cognitive improvement. Learning new skills increases the number of neural connections in the brain and keeps them firing.
2. Explore new areas and interests. Have you wanted to learn to play the piano? Take Spanish or study computer graphics? Check out your neighborhood center, school district or extension courses at a college or university near you. Traveling to new places? Surf the web for information about educational travel in America and throughout the world.
3. Play word or number games and do crossword or jigsaw puzzles to keep your mind sharp. Researchers believe that these kinds of mental challenges and ‘disorienting dilemmas’ build new neural pathways that help buffer the brain against age-related losses. Injecting novelty into your everyday tasks can have a similar affect. For example, use your non-dominant hand for brushing your teeth, rearrange the furniture in your rooms or carry out activities blindfolded. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: June 12th, 2011
For those of us who have been on the internet for many years, the increasing complexity of the web has gone mostly unbeknownst to us. For people new to the web though, it’s now an even more overwhelming experience than it was previously.
Perhaps you’ve heard of how frogs will die when put in boiling water, but if you put them in cold water and slowly raise the temperature until the boiling point, they’ll survive. This is akin to the experiences of veteran web users in comparison to the newer ones. We’ve adapted to the changing environment in a way that is difficult or impossible for newer ones to.
Seniorama is like that pot of cold water slowing being raised to boiling, introducing seniors to the internet in a way that is far easier to digest. The first thing that you’ll notice about Seniorama is the visual design, which is streamlined and easy to navigate. It’s perfect for those with failing eyesight as well, with large fonts and colorful graphics.
Seniorama functions similar to a full-fledged operating system, complete with an internet browser, e-mail service, voice and video chat capability, and games that can be enjoyed by users of all ages. E-mail service is complete with an optional text-to-speech feature, which allows e-mails to be read to the user out loud.
24-hour customer service via e-mail is another important feature, giving seniors the confidence that no matter what they come across or attempt to perform, they’ll have the backup of knowledgeable staff at their disposal.
The internet could not be made any easier to navigate, and seniors of all skill levels should have no trouble getting out there and enjoying it with their family and friends.
Judy
Softarama team
Posted: June 4th, 2011
Our world has become intricately connected like never before. All of us actively participating online can feel a part of a greater community, truly a global community. The internet gives us the power to change perceptions, shape lives, share dreams, bank, shop, play games, stay informed, and stay connected with our loved ones. In many ways the internet is now a virtual microcosm of the real world.
With more and more of our attention shifted to the online realm, it has become increasingly problematic for those not actively engaged online to keep up and feel connected, even to their own families. This is especially true of seniors and some of the boomer population.
When they were adults, computers were just gaining in relevance, and aside from the novelty factor, there really wasn’t much incentive to pick one up yet. They were also relatively expensive, meaning most people could not afford one, nor would want one given its limited capabilities at the time. As the internet era dawned, computers rose in relevance, though the general perception still existed among the older generation that computers were a newfangled gimmick.
Even as the internet has now become all but vital for communication, many seniors are still hesitant to hop onboard the bandwagon. In many cases, they’ve waited so long that they feel it’s too late for them to get involved. Many also believe computers are simply too difficult to learn.
Yet a funny thing happens when seniors take those first tentative steps online; they realize that contrary to their expectations, computers are in fact not exceptionally difficult to master. Yes, learning new concepts and ideas can be more difficult as we grow older, but it just takes the proper mindset and a helpful teacher or program to guide them through some of the steps necessary to get comfortable with computers and navigate one’s way online. They also quickly realize what all the fuss is about, and that being online can be incredibly enjoyable.
It really can’t be stressed enough how positive it is for seniors to stay connected online, especially seniors who are single or widowed and not easily able to get around the community. They can feel very lonely and isolated, and the internet is an invaluable tool for eliminating that isolation and feeling that they’re still a part of the community at large; whether it be through participating in discussion forums about some of their favorite topics, hunting down old friends on social networking sites, or just reading through the blogs of other people going through their own journeys through life.
Computers are also a great tool for keeping the mind sharp and active. Unlike some other activities such as watching T.V, the mind is actively engaged while online, and this keeps those synapses firing, and the connections of the brain strong and healthy.
It is never too late to start learning the computer and becoming an active online participant. There’s a lot to learn, but it doesn’t have to be learned all at once. With an open mind and a desire to learn, any senior will succeed in learning how those newfangled computers work, and will surely learn to love them and all they offer like the rest of us.
Judy
Softarama team
