How to get older people using iPads & Apps
Buying the iPad
iPads are expensive, but you don’t need to buy a brand new one. The Apple store and most supermarkets sell refurbished iPads online
eBay is a good place to look for these, but make sure you are buying them from a known reputable company
The refurbished ones should come with a year’s guarantee, so make sure you check this
If the intended user already has wireless broadband, you could opt for a model with a Wi-Fi connection rather than 3G
If there is no wireless connection, or if you want to use it on the move, you can have a 3G model, but then you will need to pay for a mobile contract
These typically cost £15 per month for 10GB of data and you do not need Wi-Fi to be available and can use it wherever you are
The iPad 2 is a very good model. It does not have retina display like the iPad 4, but the screen quality is still fantastic and it’s cheaper
Getting Older People to use the iPad
The amazing thing about the iPad is that it is a natural extension of the normal interface between the hand and the brain
It is very intuitive and there is no need for any kind of manual effort
It is very easy to get started using an iPad, even if you’ve never used one before
Alive! has seen this in action, with groups and individuals being able to just get going when handed a iPad with the right apps
Both the fully cognitive and the profoundly disabled can use the iPad
How to introduce the iPad to Older People
From experience, the best way of introducing an iPad to an older person is to not mention that it is a computer and to simply say, ‘Have you seen this?’
Don’t mention 3G, Wi-Fi etc, as it gets confusing , unless the person you are giving it to already understands these terms or wants to know
Often, people will think they can’t work it and switch off if they think it’s a form of computer, so avoid any reference to this
Hand the iPad to them with an app open on the screen (a good app is iFish Pond) and let them start playing
Apps are designed to be very intuitive, so they will soon be able to start interacting
Choosing the right Apps
The app store has many thousands of apps available and the choice is enormous
They range from free to around £5 for more complex software
The app store has a very powerful search engine – enter the keywords for what you are looking for (e.g drawing, bird watching) into the search box and let the machine find the apps for you
Establish what the user is interested in (e.g. do they like arts and craft, cooking, news, games, crosswords) and start searching using the search box at the top of the page to look for areas of interest
If you just want free apps, you can filter apps in the app store so you just see the free ones
Check out the list of the current most popular apps, displayed on the front page of the Apps store, as this is useful
Download and off you go!
Best kind of apps for Older People
Video conferencing via Skype or Facetime
Your parent can get FREE unlimited face-to-face contact with anyone with another iPad or computer anywhere in the world through Wi-Fi
All they need is will need an e mail address and Wi-Fi or Broadband
Use Skype or FaceTime app (on Apple devices), which are great ways to keep in contact with an Older person and them with you
You can arrange specific times to call, so the other person is ready and expecting you
The iPad has a camera on the front and on the back, so it doesn’t matter how they hold it when speaking to you, as they can switch easily between the two
Seeing your parent when talking has many advantages
Do they look healthy? If they have a chronic illness, you can keep a regular check on them and see how they look
Combats isolation by seeing a friendly face, not just hearing a voice
You can see in the background to assess how they are managing. Is it a mess, are there piles of pans etc?
You can involve them more in your life by using the outward camera to show them how your garden is looking, the mess in the kids room etc, so they feel more involved
Entertainment
Alive!’s experience has shown there is a huge advantage for older people to be in control of what they watch, i.e choosing what TV to watch rather than passively watching what is on
There are iPad apps to watch TV, such as TVCatchup, BBC iPlayer – you can download their favourite programmes to their iPad for them to watch later
YouTube
This allows you to view short video clips on almost anything you can imagine
It has such a diversity of content – it really allows the user to follow what they are interested in and can be very entertaining, helping to pass the time
They can look at events from their past, such as Pathe News or old film trailers
They could learn something new, such as making cards, or a new easy recipe
They can choose music to listen to and sing along
Many hours can be spent looking at all these options, have fun!
We offer a great at home computer training service. For details, call now on 03333 441584
Lessons costs £40 per hour
Or complete the form below and we will contact you. Please use this enquiry form only for computer lessons. If you wish to contact us about any other matter, please email [email protected]
Alive! began as a charity in 2009 and now works to provide stimulating activities in over 200 care homes and day centres across the South and South West of England. Alive! sessions encompass many different activities (including music, art and reminiscence) all designed to bring a breath of fresh air into the lives of older people and help them to feel more engaged with their lives. Alive!’s work with iPads has allowed older people to become more involved in shaping the activities themselves, creating sessions which are specific to each participant. Tim Lloyd Yeates directs Alive! and facilitates many of the charity’s activity sessions across the South West. He is passionate about empowering older people, especially those living in residential care, and campaigns for care home residents to have access to stimulating activities and a guaranteed rich quality of life. Tim is a member of the Alzheimer’s Society, a trainer for the Life Story Network, a Dignity Champion for the Department of Health and a Quality of Life Assessor for dementia care homes managed by Bristol City Council.
Alive!, Create Centre, Smeaton Road, Bristol, BS1 6XN 0117 3774756
