Basic Computer Skills for Senior Citizens and the Computer Illiterate: A Technophobe-Friendly Guide – Kristobaldude – 20 Dec 2010

Source: http://kristobaldude.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/basic-computer-skills-for-senior-citizens-and-the-computer-illiterate/

Recently, I received a call from my mom who lives in Portland, Oregon. She was having trouble with her printer after having previously also had issues with viruses and malware. As I attempted to assist her with her issues, I ran into a very frustrating situation that has continuously been a stumbling block in my ability to help get her up and running again. That thing that prevents our progress is her lack of basic computer skills, and she is not alone as millions of people today still have no computer education except frustrated hands-on attempts.

First, you must understand that I have no way of viewing my mom’s computer or connecting to it to fix things (In XP, I used to be able to remote in, but now she has Vista and that option is not available), so every time she calls me for help, I have to walk her through each part of the fix or troubleshooting process, step-by-step. I am known as a very patient person who is able to explain technical concepts well to most folks with little to no previous computer knowledge. Unfortunately, my mom seems to need a lot of repetition for her to finally be able to perform a simple instruction. I don’t mean to cast aspersions; this is just simply the way things are at present. She is not dumb either: to the contrary, she is very smart about some things. However, when it comes to computer, tech, science, etc … she falls short. And that’s OK. Some people have an aptitude to pick up new technical skills for their entire life, but are less apt at picking up new social skills. For Mom, it is simply “vice-versa” – She can pick up new skills, such as the concept of Social Networks like Facebook and MySpace easily. But when it comes to basic computer maintenance and ownership topics, like how to install a printer, defrag a computer, or find files in Windows, she is at a loss. These things don’t come easy to her and others like her.

The many frustrating hours I have spent trying to help my dear mother on “legit” level 2 technical support issues such as diagnosing printer failures and configuring antivirus/anti-malware programs, have usually been impeded by my having to re-explain the fundamentals of computer ownership, use, and maintenance (sub-Level 1 tech support) ad infinitum. For her it is a frustrating experience because it’s just not her domain of expertise. In my own life, I’ve had similar frustrations and it was always very hard, until I found a way to understand the concept through analogies that made sense to me, etc. One example from my past was my inability to understand the concept of “decimal places” … Had I never figured that out, I would definitely not have become a programmer or been good with math.

I too feel like my patience and time is being tried and wasted, respectively, because in my mind (and in reality) I am thinking “I already told you this!!! Why haven’t you learned this by now??? For over 10 years I have been telling you this!!!” Also, “No Mom – RIGHT-Click!!!” has been something I have had to say a lot. Imagine if every time you asked somebody to drive to the store to pick up some things, that you had to re-explain how to put the key in the ignition and how to operate the accelerator (aka: gas pedal) and brakes; now you have some idea of what I have to go through on a regular basis. That would soon grow tiresome to even the most kindhearted and helpful person.

This mutual pattern of frustration was the direct impetus for my writing this article. It culminated today when after another exasperating session of attempted technical support on a computer issue; I finally told my Mom that I can no longer help her with her issues because it is simply disrespectful to waste my time by not remembering or improving her knowledge of computers on her own.

Let me give you a brief analogy: If you were in a musical band, and the band was learning a new song, and there was one part that you found particularly difficult to play, it would be your responsibility to learn that part on your own, would it not? Further, to come to the next band practice having NOT practiced on your own would simply be disrespectful of the other members’ time, because instead of spending time learning more new songs, they now have to take the band’s time to try and teach you what you should have worked on, on your own.

To ask someone repeatedly something they have already answered for you ad nauseam, is BLATANT DISRESPECT FOR THEIR TIME, and breeds resentment from the person who is attempting to give assistance.

So, here you see, I am trying to alleviate some of that frustration and resentment by providing a list of resources, including several online training videos, which cost nothing to make use of, except a few minutes of your time.

Though it was my mom’s lack of computer knowledge that prompted me to write this, my wish is that anyone else who is suffering from this problem may gain hope and a better understanding through their own self-study and efforts of the below materials. Now, everything is in one source, and at your fingertips!

For some, even searching the internet can be an ordeal. Truly, even for the experienced, it is sometimes difficult to find a topic online because of the way Google search works. Do not fear my friends, for I have invested several hours of my time researching and compiling the links and resources that for you, may have taken several weeks or months to accomplish.

I put a lot of my personal time into gathering these materials. The only thanks I ask is that you comment and let me know if you found this article helpful!!! Also, I would be happy to hear of any additions to the content you might suggest!

Turyak Distinguished Senior Citizens of the World Congress - "Wholesome Solution of the World Crisis: 4-5 December 2010 – IFA – 15 Dec 2010

Source: http://www.ifa-fiv.org/images/stories/PDFs/declaration%20of%20the%20turyak%20international%20congress%20on%20wholesome%20solutions%20to%20the%20world%20crisis.pdf

“We, as the senior citizens of the World, see it necessary  for the world system to shift to more efficient and  needs-based production policies that  are physically, ecologically, socially and emotionally sustainable” We must understand that the humanity and our world have lost their harmony with the cosmos.   This is where the crisis starts. We hope to succeed in bringing wisdom and culture to the forefront; we will see that they are both directed towards the same goal based on generally accepted values and norms which will provide a strong framework for full coverage of the entire humanity.  Thanks to such a global value system which truly understands that it is humankind’s common destiny; alliances of civilizations will increase, whereas competition among the strongest and the psychology of establishing hegemony over the others will decrease.

Interconnection and interdependency between the environment and people forms the very foundation of the universal system. The perception of nature as an unlimited resource is a wrong one. The ecosystem crisis that we are facing today mostly stems from the failure of natural systems to operate in a healthy manner due to the harmful effects of waste coming out of resource utilization processes as well as production and consumption of products. 

There are three reasons leading to this problem:

• consumption philosophy and patterns,
• resource, space planning and site selection,
• production technologies.

Even if the world has the capacity to cope with the increase in populations, it simply cannot do so due to this wrongful attitude of excessive consumption.  A lifestyle driven by the technological developments which does not take into account the future is not a sustainable one.  It is very important to ensure a change in mentality and concordantly to get organized for the cause of the environment. Once people grasp the wholeness of the ecosystem, then everyone should do their share of the work for balanced utilization.

It is observed that the environmental organizations around the world remain rather weak vis-à-vis  existing need, which stems from the following reasons: Civilizations are based on four fundamental values;

• principle of justice emerging from love (rule of law, potential justice),
• principle of fairness (kinetic justice),
• principle of honesty (loyalty and fidelity),
• principle of sincerity.

We should come to a mutual agreement on finding a shared notion of civilization which takes into account all of these principles.  Civilization is like a river.  It is not static, it continues to flow from the past to the future, and that’s the reason why we cannot really talk about a Western or an Eastern civilization as well as civilizations based on certain religions.  It is important for cultures to understand and respect one another’s differences without causing unnecessary polarization.  All cultures should be preserved to ensure the sustainability of diversity.

The very essence of wisdom/reason is to acknowledge the true nature of things.  Such an acknowledgement perceives the earth as a divine asset which is to be respected and not to beharmed. To be able to revive our capability to protect and restore the balance that we have lost, there is a great need for an effective and sincere effort starting at the individual level, further extending and reaching out to countries and the United Nations.

Since such an effort is not yet in place, it has become more frequent for the world crisis to centre around the economy.  Taking into account the recent monetary crises, we should not ignore the imperative need to structurally reform the economic system. Exiting such crises can only be possible by changing our perspective.  The world crisis can be overcome through such a production concept which is respectful of the world’s resources and is in harmony with the ecosystem.  While doing so, we need to pick up and focus on specific sectors within each country which will yield productive employment and quality products, innovation and innovative discoveries, patents, world-class companies and brands.

Thanks to the new technologies the trends within the labour market will be subject to change and in this way fewer people may prefer to live in cities.  Labour-intensive employment areas are increasing day by day including the emerging  branches of labour in the field of  advanced technologies,  in the field of education-training, home care or institutional care for the elderly and patients.

Financial systems should be perceived merely as one of the inputs of the economy amongst others. Unless  more  people earn their  income primarily through  production thenunemployment will increase. There is  surely an exit from each crisis. In order to secure astructural recovery such an exit should be accompanied by production based on the basic needs of human beings,  sustainable development, investments made to educate people throughout the lifecourse for more efficient employment, skills based  and vocational/professional training, and on-the-job training.

Greater importance should be attached to the development of employment friendly policies and the principles of decent work which include:

• proportionately charging lower taxes and lower premiums from lower wage earners,
• wage policies based on productivity and efficiency,
• flexible working hours,
• encouraging the employment of women,
• encouraging the employment of senior citizens,
• targeting the employment of more than one member in each family, making the necessary arrangements in agriculture and husbandry policies to address the hidden unemployment in agriculture.
  
  

It should be noted that as the labour markets become more rigid, unemployed people’s hope to find new jobs is fading. Social security should have a balanced distribution in the society.  Public pension systems should cover the fundamental pension rights of individuals, whereas people should exert additional effort to win further pension rights, and should also benefit from private insurance schemes.

It is necessary for all societies to benefit from the social capital offered by the elderly. As senior citizens, our main duties in achieving global recovery are as follows:

• promote the culture of coexistence,
• interconnect cultures without letting them segregate from one another,
• protect our similarities and differences without causing too much polarization,
• create an atmosphere of love in the world,
• make sure that love and mutual understanding is being spread especially among youth
• and children through our face-to-face encounters,
• enable  dialogues that will not only  bridge  different cultures  but also different
• generations,
• make sure that our words do translate into sincere actions.

It is very important and very much needed that young people work hand in hand with the elderly for the future world.  As we are able to utilize the wisdom, the experience, the energy and creativity  of senior citizens  and youth together, then we can definitely come up with effective and wholesome solutions to all kinds of problems of the world.

Korean program trains seniors to use mobile phones -Future Gov.Asia - 28 December

In an effort to narrow the digital gap between generations, a telecoms company and a non-government organisation in Korea has teamed up to train older citizens on how to use mobile phones.

“This program not only teaches the elderly how to use mobile devices but also helps narrow the digital gap between the elderly and other groups in society,” Irene Kim, SKTelecom press officer, told FutureGov Asia Pacific Magazine.
“It also contributes to increase communication among different generations as the elderly and the college students who volunteer in this program get a chance to understand each other.”
 
The training comes with different levels of expertise. The program’s basic course teaches the elderly how to send text/photo messages and use a mobile phone camera.
 
The intensive course includes more complicated procedures such as transferring data to computers by connecting the mobile phone to a PC and how to take mobile videos and use other value-added services.


“Furthermore, they are taught how to protect themselves from mobile phone-related crimes like voice phishing and spam messaging,” Kim adds.

All senior citizens who are members of Senior Welfare Centres within the association can apply for and receive training, she said.

The Korea Communications Commission announced in November an implementation plan for closing the digital divide caused by unequal access to smart mobile services.

Kim said: “ICT can truly enrich the lives of the elderly with the support of useful programs that help them get familiar to and benefit from cutting-edge technologies and services.

“Through this initiative, social problems—such as the digital divide, the generation gap etc—that are stemming from rapid technological development, can be gradually resolved.

Source: http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2010/dec/28/korean-program-trains-seniors-use-mobile-phones/

Active seniors win award for innovation - The Straits Times - 13 October 2010

By Judith Tan

Tourists on their first visit to Singapore are being approached by friendly senior citizens at the airport, offering directions and telling them where to claim their baggage.

Dressed in black polo tees and red vests, these seniors are part of the Changi Senior Ambassador programme run jointly by RSVP Singapore - a body for senior volunteers - and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

RSVP president Philbert Chin, 81, said being involved this way engages the seniors both mentally and physically, a goal at the heart of RSVP's activities for its members.

This philosophy has won RSVP Singapore this year's Outstanding VWO Award in Innovation, given out by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). VWO stands for voluntary welfare organisation.

Meanwhile, the Outstanding VWO Award in Collaboration was shared by the Alzheimer's Disease Association and the Lions Befrienders Service Association. The two bodies were honoured for working tirelessly with other organisations to raise awareness of their respective causes.

Each of the two categories comes with a prize of $20,000, with the latter two associations splitting their prize equally. The winners also received plaques from Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Yu-Foo Yee Shoon at the NCSS Members Conference 2010 at the NTUC Centre yesterday.

Dr Chin told reporters that, aside from being friendly faces and helping hands to lost tourists at the airport, RSVP members run Learning Journey, an outdoor interactive programme for school children and senior groups.

Acting as tour guides, RSVP volunteers take their charges to places such as the Marina Barrage, the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and the Old Ford Factory to show them what makes Singapore tick.

'It is like a sort of national service we seniors do and enjoy doing,' Dr Chin said. He described RSVP as a 'bottom-up driven' organisation which gives its members a say in the kind of programmes it runs.

Besides the awards presentation, the NCSS Members Conference 2010 brought together 500 members to address key issues in the social service sector.

Speakers yesterday were Professor Andrew Scharlach, a specialist in elder care, and Mr Ho Kwon Ping, the executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings, a developer and manager of premium hotels, spas and resorts.

At the event, a website which VWOs can use to promote their products and services was launched. Items sold include batik coasters and cushion covers by the Metta Welfare Association, and door hangers and magnets by the Centre for Adults at the Association for Persons with Special Needs.

An NCSS spokesman said a single website would provide a centralised platform for its members to showcase their products: 'Previously, these products and services were hosted on the VWOs' own sites, making it quite difficult for the public to go from one to the other.'

Source: The Stratis Times, 13th October 2010
URL: http://www.straitstimes.com/Singapore/Story/STIStory_589922.html

Remembering the Good Times Is Secret to Happiness for Oldest American Seniors - Senior Journal - 9 Apr 2010

Iowa State researchers find loss of cognitive ability is major source of depression for centenarians and older senior citizens

April 9, 2010 – A new study of senior citizens has found that past satisfaction with life - even if it's simply recalling isolated career accomplishments - is the key to happiness in our oldest years. Researchers from Iowa State University's gerontology program have helped identify what predicts happiness and long life in centenarians, as well as what causes depression in 80-somethings and above.

The Ames, Iowa researchers studied 158 Georgia centenarians.

"The past is the best predictor of the future, so you're not going to turn your life around at 85 or 90," said Peter Martin, director of Iowa State's gerontology program and a professor of human development and family studies (HDFS), who collaborated on both studies.

"But it's also good to know that past accomplishments and the happiness that you had -- looking back at your past -- carries you through these very last years."

Depression grows from loss of cognitive ability

For the depression study, researchers added 78 octogenarians (people 80 or older) to the happiness centenarian sample. They found that diminished cognitive problem-solving ability was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms in octogenarians, while living in a nursing home and greater neurotic tendencies increased depression among centenarians.

Both studies were published online in the Jan. 26 issue of the journal Gerontology. Jennifer Margrett, an assistant professor of HDFS, was the lead author on the depression study. Alex Bishop, an assistant professor of human development and family studies at Oklahoma State University (who was a doctoral student at Iowa State), was lead author of the happiness study.

Past life satisfaction pays happiness dividends

In that study, researchers analyzed the subjects' responses to a series of questions that assessed their happiness, perceived health, social provisions, economic security and life satisfaction. While there was no indication that resources affect happiness, past life satisfaction - even individual achievements - was found to have a direct association.

Because of their results, the researchers urge caregivers of the elderly to implement programs - including reminiscence therapy and structured life review sessions - to foster feelings of happiness among very old populations.

"You can be not overly satisfied with your overall current capacity and physical well-being, but you can still be a very happy person because there's a lot you can contribute just by sharing some of the things that nobody knew because it was 80 or 90 years ago," said Martin, who is also in the second year of a three-year study of Iowa centenarians.

In the second other study, researchers measured depressive symptoms, demographics and functional indicators, cognition and personality in the subjects. They then compared the ability of cognition, personality, and demographic and functional indicators in explaining depressive symptoms in the octogenarians and centenarians respectively.

They were surprised to learn that overall cognition was not a stronger predictor of depressive symptoms at either age. Rather, it was the loss of the subject's control -- problem-solving in the octogenarians, and choosing where they lived in the centenarians -- that tended to depress them.

"In the case of the octogenarians, it's not so much your intellectual ability as it is the ability to come up with a solution to a particular task that you used to be able to solve in your 60s and 70s," Martin said. "And so for the first time, you realize that there may be decline in being able to manage tasks.

"And at 100, it's not so much the surrounding of the nursing home that gets you depressed," he added.

"But in a nursing home, two things have changed. First, there's a sign that you cannot take care of yourself anymore. And then there's the sign that you know you only have limited time to live, which is different for an 80-year-old."

Elderly worried about direction country is headed

The research also confirmed that worry and anxiety contribute to depression in centenarians. And one of the things they're worried about, according to Martin, is the direction the country is headed and the world they're leaving for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Martin says these studies have practical applications for elderly care providers.

"When we have professionals who work with elderly in nursing homes, we pay so much attention to the helping condition -- make sure they eat, make sure they have their hygiene taken care of, and so forth -- but you also have to work on the mood aspect of it," Martin said.

"And I know people who work in nursing homes have difficult jobs, but just a brief conversation with a very old person can lighten up their entire day."

The research team also published two related papers in the Jan. 26 issue of Gerontology. One confirms the importance of family history on present-day functioning among centenarians and octogenarians, while the other analyzed the influences on their economic dependency.

Tech groups push to get broadband to older U.S. residents - ComputerWorld - 6 Apr 2010

By Grant Gross

IDG News Service - Broadband offers many benefits for older U.S. residents, including telemedicine, increased contact with family and friends, and shopping without leaving the house, but they subscribe to the service at a much lower rate than other people, some advocates for the elderly said Tuesday.


In an effort to change that trend, several technology vendors and groups that work with older people on Tuesday launched Project GOAL (Get Older Adults Online), an organization that plans to serve as a clearinghouse for programs and resources. Project GOAL will work with organizations working with the aging population to stress the benefits of broadband and to connect older adults with services such as computer training, said Debra Berlyn, executive director of Project GOAL.

Project GOAL will also sponsor a series of forums to discuss issues related to delivering broadband to older people, Berlyn said.

Older people need technology training programs, they need assistance with online safety, and they need to be shown the benefits of broadband, Berlyn said during a press conference. "Many people don't see the value of the Internet," she said.

Older people can use broadband to shop during bad weather, research medical conditions and use telemedicine services, said Thomas Kamber, executive director of Older Adults Technology Services (OATS), based in New York City. One critical issue that broadband can help older adults with is social isolation, he added.

"So many seniors are very socially isolated and don't have as many face-to-face contacts as they would like to every day," he said. "Technology opens up this amazing channel to connect people across geographies. One of our participants is telling me that he's e-mailing people he went to high school with in West Virginia."

Many OATs participants also use broadband to look for part-time work, said Kamber, who will serve on Project GOAL's advisory committee. "We're finding so many people who want to stay engaged in the workforce," he said. "Many people are working past the age of 60 now, either because they need the money or they want to stay relevant."

Only about 35% of U.S. residents over age 65 subscribe to broadband, compared to about 65% of the population as a whole, said Blair Levin, executive director of the FCC's Omnibus Broadband Initiative, the group that put together the agency's national broadband plan. That digital divide grows larger for older U.S. residents who are members of racial or ethnic minorities -- only 21% of them have broadband service, Levin said.

The FCC's broadband plan proposes a national Digital Literacy Corps to help older people and other groups learn about broadband and computers, but the government alone won't be able to bring broadband to underserved groups, Levin said.

"If the federal government tries to tackle barriers to adoption on its own, it will fail," Levin said. "We must instead draw upon the power of community groups, private companies and government altogether. We must crowd-source adoption."

Among the sponsors of Project GOAL are AT&T, Comcast, Facebook, Microsoft, Verizon, Time Warner Cable, T-Mobile and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association.

Source: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9174899/Tech_groups_push_to_get_broadband_to_older_U.S._residents

Official website: http://theprojectgoal.org/