Technology Links Seniors With Past, Present and Future

Fran Reardon walked into the comfortable computer lab at Peace Village with a mission on her mind and an address in her hand. “I found this written in my mother’s old prayer book and I’ve been wondering what it is. It might be where she lived as a kid.” Debi Pope helped Reardon settle in front of the computer, explained how to launch Google Earth, indicated where she should type the address and watched with Reardon as the software drilled down to the address.

Reardon dragged the “little Google guy” to the address and watched the image change to the view of the street. “Oh,” she said. “It looks like it’s gone.” Indeed, the only structure at the address was an industrial building sitting in the stark shadow of an enormous elevated concrete highway.

While Google Earth may have failed this particular Village resident, Pope says it’s rare that anyone is disappointed. Pope is the Computer Tutor, a volunteer role she has held for over nineteen years at the Palos Park retirement neighborhood.

“It started with a multi-generational grant, linking seniors to 4th grade students through technology. We started with one computer in each location; one here at The Village and one at Palos West Elementary School.” The seniors and the students emailed each other every week, learning writing skills, technology skills, history and other life skills. “When the grant ended,” says Pope, “the school and the Village decided to keep the email program going. My role evolved beyond emailing into helping the residents with the hardware and the software.” When this energetic dynamo retired from teaching in 2006, she couldn’t leave the friends she made at the Village, so has continued to come in every Friday afternoon to help the residents with both older and newer technology.

Through Google Earth, residents have found childhood homes and much more. “One of our users is a veteran of World War II. We are able to find the ship he served on and to virtually stand on its deck again. He tracked down the list of his fellow servicemen and is starting to email those he is finding online,” says Pope. “We will all be so excited when he gets a message back.”

Other vets have found the towns they helped liberate and virtually stood on those same streets today. They have been surprised at how much has changed - or at how much has stayed the same. Residents have also virtually visited their college campuses and the National Parks.

Don Kuech’s interests are more in the here and now. “I have a computer, but it’s still in the box. I haven’t had time to figure out how to use it. These are all set up and ready for me to go. I check the sports statistics and scores, I look up general information.” Many users visit YouTube, using the site to watch new movie trailers, explore music and concerts, and during the election, which generated a great deal of interest and debate, watch candidates’ speeches.

Pope considers Carol Landow her trusted assistant. “Oh, she’s desperate,” laughs Landow. She has lived in the Village for over fifteen years and is the student/senior email participant with the longest history. “Debi makes learning fun. If I had had a teacher like her when I was a young child, I would never have had a negative attitude about school.” Landow helps maintain the thick binder that Pope has created. “Debi has broken everything down step by step to help our users clearly understand what needs to be done for each task. She has everything in here from using the mouse to researching, downloading and attaching Yahoo! images. Even if Debi’s not here, we can figure out how to do what she’s taught us from her instructions.”

Pope says that learning how to surf the web has helped some residents tremendously. “We have investigated and applied for VA benefits. Many of our residents use the public computers to file their taxes.” Residents research area physicians and specialists before they make an appointment. They google their medications to watch for potential side effects and interactions. Users investigate locations for trips and vacations, then book travel arrangements and accommodations online. Some avidly follow the stock market. Some residents just come for the Solitaire.

“I really started with very little technological knowledge 19 years ago, and we’ve learned together in a lot of cases, as the technology changes, but we always figure it out. I teach them anything they ask about. If I don’t know it already, I figure it out and teach them how to do it,” says Pope. More and more tech-savvy residents are moving in, bringing their own computers and tablets, but “there is always more to learn”, so they stop by the computer lab. “Many residents receive a tablet, laptop or smartphone as a gift from their families, but they don’t get instructions along with it, so I’m here to help with that too.” The Village provides wifi to all residents.

Mary Ann Jeffers has been a resident of The Village for a year and joined the student/senior email program immediately. “My grandchildren attend Palos West, so the kids I’m emailing are friends of theirs. It’s nice to have that connection.” Jeffers is a tech-savvy resident, comfortable with using her iPad. “I’m on Facebook, connected with family and friends - and anyone else I see that interests me,” she smiles. Jeffers very much enjoyed the lesson Pope presented on card making. “I liked that because the cards are very personal. I sent one to my daughter-in-law’s aunt, who invited me to join them on Thanksgiving. I made one for my niece for her birthday - and that was the only mailed card she received.”

Between formal lessons, investigating resident questions and bustling between users offering tips and instruction, Pope’s next goal is to establish a bank of senior-focused websites. Landow smiles, “She is so organized and she gets so much done. Debi is just amazing. I always give Debi a pat on the back, she has so much patience with us.” And, she says in an aside, “She comes in a lot more than just on Friday.”

Pope, on the other hand, admires Landow and the other residents a great deal. “These are the people whose glass is always half full. They are positive and optimistic.”

Landow is certainly optimistic. “Using the computer and learning all these new things makes you younger. You’re keeping up with the younger generation. You’re going to be left out if you don’t keep learning - and I want to be a part of everything. The kids and Debi keep showing us how to do new things. I am not sitting back and withering up!”

Retirement neighborhoods play a vital role in healthy, happy aging. Because there is no longer snow to shovel or a home to maintain, there is a lower risk of a debilitating and life-changing fall. There is a major reduction in stress and depression. There are countless activities and clubs to stay involved, interested and active. Peace Village has a fully equipped fitness center, keeping bones and muscles strong. Better nutrition is a key factor to a longer healthier life too. “Oh, before I moved here, I lived on tomato soup and cottage cheese,” laughs Landow. “I eat so much better now that someone else cooks for me.”

“You can’t be bored here. It’s a good place to feel a part of progress,” she says.