Best websites to help elderly get on-line

Our ageing parents are more wary of using computers and the internet, often because they have had no experience of them and think they are too old to learn how to use them.

They fear feeling stupid around new technology, yet if they can master it, it can bring untold happiness to their lives. They can communicate via email, or on social networking sites, shop, learn new skill and do many other things most of us use everyday. Watch our video about how to get your parent on-line

So myageingparent have compiled a guide to the most helpful and free websites to teach your elderly relative how to use computers and benefit from their wide applications.

BBC Webwise

This comprehensive, easy-to-use site offers and introduction to:

As you would expect from the BBC, it is easy to follow and clearly set out

Skillful Senior

An American site, which Skillful Senior teaches basic navigation skills

The focus here is teaching the elderly how to access health information on the web

The site has interactive animated tutorials, which teach your ageing parent how to use the mouse, the arrow keys on the keyboard, and touch typing

Importantly, they also teach about ergonomics too, so that the elderly can use the computer without sitting badly and causing themselves pain

Each tutorial has a voice-over by a digital character to explain everything as you go along

Meganga

Meganga offers computer lessons for the elderly, beginners and computer novices

There are computer lessons on Office Word, with Word tutorials showing how to use Microsoft Office Word and a beginners guide on how to use Excel

The first computer course of lessons is for basic computer training and is specifically aimed at the elderly and beginners

The computer tutorials  start with very elementary, but essential topics, so that beginners and elderly students will gain in confidence, learn computer skills and will soon be able to do much more with their computer

The site is still being developed and there is clearly more to come, but the beginner lessons are worth trying

GCF Learn Free

GCFLearnFree is an online platform, with courses which cover technology, online literacy, and maths skills

The site lists around 750 lessons that are designed for basic and intermediate levels

The design of the site should be suitable for the elderly and helps them gain internet and computer skills

There are a number of technical courses, including how to use an ATM

Courses are interactive and are supported with articles, videos, and animation

Microsoft Accessibility

This is a very useful site, which great tips for the elderly on how to change the screen settings to make the computer easier to useFor those who are struggling to see the screen, their are many useful tips on how to make it easier to see, such as setting the screen magnifier to help read the screen and customising colours on screen to make reading the screen much easier on the eyesIf sight is still an issue, the website helps you set Narrator in Windows, to help convert text and captions to speechIt will also help those whose sight is waning to increase the size of the mouse cursor on screen

For those with arthritis or stiff joints, it shows you how to use speech recognition, rather than the keyboard

For the hard of hearing, it gives tips on volume control

It also helps the elderly to use the keyboard and for those with a tremor or Parkinson’s, will show you how to set filters, which will ignore repeated, mistaken strokes

Good 50

Good50 is a Google-powered search engine, customized to be more readable and user-friendly to everyone, including older adults and school-aged children

The larger text on the search page and the optional high-contrast setting makes it easier for older adults to access content on the web

Eldy

This is not a website, but a free download, which turns any standard PC into an easy-to-use computer for first time computer users

It provides six buttons, which interface email, internet, chat, videoconferencing, documents, pictures, skype and more

Watch myageingparent.com’s guide to getting your parent on-line

We offer a great at home computer training service. For details, call now on 03333 441584

Or complete the form below and we will contact you

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