I see several clients in assisted-living facilities. One, we’ll call her Bea, I’ve seen monthly for almost a year. She’s learned every facet of emailing, how to navigate Google, and also plays brain games for her memory.
But lately she’s been sad. Even though the facility is beautiful and provides many activities, she wants to go home. Her children don’t visit often enough and she’d love to get out more. She feels powerless.
In between lessons, I email her links to articles and websites that I know will interest her. A few weeks ago, I sent her a link to a French Impressionist blog. When I arrived the following week, we looked at it together. Looking at a gorgeous painting, we realized it was incorrectly labeled. It was titled Claude Monet’s Cliff Walk at Pourville but we both knew it was George Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. (Yes, I took a few Art History classes in college and they do come in handy now and then.)
All of a sudden, Bea had a purpose. She had to correct this blogger. I showed her the menu bar and the Contact Us tab. Together, we came up with a polite note telling her she was mistaken but also encouraged her to keep up the good work.
In a small way, Bea felt powerful – she was sharing her knowledge with this young woman. She was also looking forward to a response and said she’d forward me the reply if she got one (because she now knows how to FORWARD an email). She smiled when we said goodbye and I felt good that, for at least that day, she had learned how to connect with someone new.
Nancy Spear
Nancy's Tech Help for Older Adults
310-365-9951 • info@nancys-tech-help.com • www.nancys-tech-help.com