What’s one of the biggest obstacles in working with older adults and tech? PASSWORDS! Everyone has good intentions, but…
The son creates a password for his mother, writes it on a Post-it note, and puts it in her desk drawer. She’s so proud of him; he’s a doctor.
Then the granddaughter comes to visit (with a mask). The grandma doesn’t remember that the password is in the desk drawer, so the granddaughter changes it and thumbtacks it to the bulletin board; such a good girl and did you know she got a scholarship to college?
A month later, the caregiver does everything she can to help and creates a new password (the one on the bulletin board has been covered up with take-out menus). Thank goodness for this caregiver, she does such a good job, and you should taste her soup!
What can you do? You might say, “Use a password app.” But, most likely, that’s too complicated for the older generation. I’ve created a Password Log – everything in one place.
There are a few import instructions across the top. The one that really helps is to exaggerate your upper- and lower-case letters. A capital W looks a lot like a lower-case w and that can throw the whole thing off.
So, print the Password Log and fill it out. Maybe make a copy for your son or your granddaughter. And absolutely tell trusted family members where you keep it. Then you can visit easily with your son the doctor and your brilliant granddaughter while you enjoy the caregiver’s soup.
Click here to download and print the Password Log.