I’ve been working with a 85-year-old woman for several months, first with her laptop and now with her new Jitterbug phone (A Jitterbug is a mobile phone made specifically for seniors). When we started, she said she wasn’t smart enough to use these devices but she recently proved herself wrong.
We started with email and Facebook and, like most new clients, she waited for my next visit to check them. After several weeks, she was comfortable on her own. Then she learned how to Google.
Last week, she greeted me at the door with her grandson’s Bar Mitzvah invitation. She started talking a mile a minute: “Where can I buy him his yarmulke and tallit?,” “What would he like?,” “If I order online, would he get them on time?,” “I searched for them online.” I stopped her right there, surprised that she searched for them by herself, “You searched for them on your laptop?” Very matter-of-factly, she answered, “No, on my phone.” Then she smiled realizing how far she had come. She felt like a big shot.
That’s my goal. That a client of mine can go from not feeling smart enough to searching on her new phone without thinking twice. She’s my big shot.
Nancy Spear
Nancy's Tech Help for Older Adults
310-365-9951 • info@nancys-tech-help.com • www.nancys-tech-help.com