Is the iPad for seniors? You bet! An iPad (or another tablet) is an innovative way to provide yourself with amusing games and activities during leisure time and to stay knowledgeable about the world at large. The tablets are lightweight and portable. They’re convenient to take with you to the doctor’s office, outside on the patio, when traveling, or any time you need an interesting diversion.
How to Begin With Your Tablet
Have the salesclerk set up the tablet before you leave the store. He/she can show you the basic steps to maneuvering through the internet and how to add apps, check your email, and download games, movies, and other forms of entertainment, such as crossword puzzles. The iPad and other tablets come with a user’s manual, and it is a fount of information on how to navigate this device.
Enlist the Aid of a Youngster
Many children by the age of eight are already quite savvy about electronic gadgets. Your grandchildren will beam with pride if you ask them to show you a few tips on how to operate your tablet. Another idea is to enlist the aid of the teen that mows your lawn, delivers your paper, or lives in your neighborhood.
Reasons Why a Tablet Is a Wise Investment
Besides the portability, a tablet allows you to change the size of the text quite easily. All you have to do is to place your index finger and thumb together on the screen and then spread them apart. This enlarges the text or picture so that even seniors with vision problems can see the words clearly and read without straining.
A tablet allows you to email friends and family members. This device is a great way to stay in touch with adult children with hectic schedules, your grandchildren who are in college or at school during the day, or friends who live far away. Just send the email, and when it is a convenient time for them, they can email you back. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, staying connected with family and friends — even via email — is a wise way to help maintain cognitive function, and your physical and mental health.
The tablet is an excellent place to store your photographs. With just a swipe of your fingertip, you can view all your photos at any time of the day or night. This enables you to show your pictures to friends and family members without toting along a bulky photo album. Seniors with arthritis often find that the large icons on the tablet are less difficult to use them a personal computer that requires manual dexterity. Many tablets allow you to take pictures with them too. This is convenient for senior citizens who have trouble operating a camera with tiny buttons or symbols that they can’t see well.
If reading, playing games, or doing crossword puzzles are some of your favorite pastimes, you can download books and games on your tablet and enjoy them whenever you have time. These activities help keep you sharp mentally, as stated by Harvard Medical School.
Once you purchase a tablet, you may wonder how you ever got along without it. The portability, variety of entertainment, information, and helpful apps will open up a whole new world that is sure to help you discover different interests and hobbies.
