In a time of COVID-19 and beyond, our older community will need support to live a blended life. What does this mean? Well the presumption that seniors remain in an analog world, relying on face to face interactions, bricks and mortar shopping, in-person medical appointments and paper based forms is now behind us.

In keeping with our commitment to ‘hear’ seniors and respond to their needs we think it’s time to take a look at what’s changed for providers with COVID-19 and how they can adapt their digital strategies to be more competitive and client focused.

The world has shifted dramatically in the last 2 months as a result of COVID-19. What this means is digital has become even more important than ever. For seniors nothing has changed - they want to be active participants in the world around them and not to be left behind, or worse, left out.

We’re quite excited around the promise of what Digital health can bring for a country like Australia. Digital health is essentially using technology to aid and support wellbeing and health care. But there are challenges..

When it comes to the well being of older Australians, there is growing recognition of the essential role digital plays. We hear directly from them that they want to be active participants in a modern, digital world.

Wearables create a great opportunity to support our desire to live healthier and more independent lives. We are living in an incredible time where technology significantly overcomes all sorts of barriers. At the same time, advances in how we can access our own personal information means we are able to proactively manage our health and wellbeing.

We’ve trained over 1100 seniors and some of the most common questions are around buying devices, understanding plans and setting up devices that have been purchased. For most people over 65, ‘bricks and mortar’ retailers are still the main location where they will buy their own phone or tablet.

Our belief is that inspiration can come from anyone and can happen anytime. Organisations, and the valuable staff that work there, have an important role in motivating their clients and each other. Never underestimate how much you can be a source of inspiration for the people around you.

Families play an incredibly important role in wellness and social inclusion programs for aged care. As the sector has changed over the last 20 years, so to have the expectations of individuals and their families. We are demanding greater choice with wellbeing, activities and the way we connect to our loved ones.

Palliative care is something that isn’t discussed much and is incredibly difficult when you are confronted with it personally. YourLink Co-founder, Richard Scenna, shares how his family used technology to support the care of his mum during her illness and palliative care needs.

Losing our independence can have a massive impact on our wellbeing, mood and sense of being connected. While there may be a number of variables, technology can play a part in stemming the decline of this independence.

This article is for the older children out there helping parents and grandparents to use technology. We’ve identified three simple hints to keep in mind when teaching your parents and grandparents technology.

We’re very proud of what we do at YourLink. Our belief is that everyone deserves a quality of life that includes happiness, sense of purpose and a feeling of being valued. We know what we do matters and that these small moments lead to bigger and life-changing moments for people. Read some of the examples of how we have made a difference.

Members of the YourLink team are now accredited as accessibility experts as part of the Apple Consultants Network. We are proud to be one of the few organisations who are part of the network that are focussed on the Aged Care and Community Sector. Find out more about Accessibility and how we can help you.

We hope you enjoy this recent interview with Bev Holland, Technology Advocate and U3A Orange Member.