Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums

User menu

  • My alerts

Search

  • Advanced search
The College of Family Physicians of Canada
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums
  • My alerts
The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • RSS feeds
  • Follow cfp Template on Twitter
StoryBlog Post

Tech and Seniors - Changing Times

Christopher C. Frank, MD FCFP
September 07, 2018

I have worked in family medicine with a focused practice in care of the elderly for almost 25 years. As a result, I have seen a lot of changes in care, but I have seen even more changes in the people I am caring for. The only time I have been quoted in the Globe &Mail (much to my mother-in-law’s delight) was my comment that the era of the unengaged older patient is ending. The current group of “geriatric patients” has much less interest in being told what to do by their doctor, or dropping their interests and connections because of aging.

Technology is often thought of as being a dark continent for seniors, and, like learning other new skills, mastering new technologies takes longer as we get older. However, things that would’ve been unusual even 5 years ago are now commonplace. When admitting an older person to my geriatric rehabilitation unit, patients often ask me for the wi-fi pass word. It is common for octogenarians to mention that they are going to be Skyping with their granddaughter in Australia to update them on their rehabilitation.

Aging is the time when there is potential for isolation and disengagement. The new generation of seniors is making use of the opportunities that technology provides to minimize this risk. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media can help older people stay in touch with friends, family and remain engaged with their interests. The development of social media designed for seniors is a focus for Silicone Valley startups, and one hopes that they get lots of advice from older people in development.

There are some downsides to social media for seniors. Although bullying on social media is less likely to be an issue for seniors, I would hate to see the opportunities for face-to-face interactions and real contact with people decreased because an electronic option was available. As the keepers of wisdom and tradition, I also hope that seniors do not “dumb down” the way that they read literature, and engage with the world.

In addition to connecting seniors with others, technology has potential benefits in assisting people to remain at home as safely as possible. Assistive Technology (AT) has the potential to change the way we care for people at home, especially in a country like Canada where children may be living thousands of miles away. We are a ways away from robot assistants helping people with dementia stay at home but there are some very interesting approaches that are being taken. For example, remote monitoring of medical conditions including vital signs and blood sugar measurements can be helpful in avoiding hospitalization. The use of videoconferencing can be relevant in saving travel time for medical appointments, and can be particularly helpful in rural and isolated areas with limited access to health professionals. The” Smart home” will be able to track movements to identify when somebody has fallen and to help guide the management of behavioural disturbances.

One of the most difficult aspects of having dementia is the loss of the driver’s license due to medical suspension and the self-driving car may offer options in the future. As the technology and the legislation evolve, it will be important to consider how they can help people with mild dementia remain independent on the road.

As the world ages, there is increasing recognition that without the application of technology, we will be hard pressed to meet the needs of older patients. There is also increasing recognition that this is a large group of people and that it is financially beneficial for companies to offer services to this population. As mentioned, seniors have not been viewed as being the target of technology development but the rules of the game are changing rapidly. Family physicians can help facilitate the appropriate use of technology, while ensuring that true human contact is optimized too. The ideal state is a combination of the modern, and the old-fashioned.

Copyright © 2018 The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Collections

  • Featured Content
  • Free
Download PDF
Share
Tech and Seniors - Changing Times
Christopher C. Frank, MD FCFP
September 07, 2018
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
Email Blog Post

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on The College of Family Physicians of Canada.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Tech and Seniors - Changing Times
(Your Name) has sent you a message from The College of Family Physicians of Canada
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the The College of Family Physicians of Canada web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Blog Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Navigate

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Archive
  • Collections - English
  • Collections - Française

For Authors

  • Authors and Reviewers
  • Submit a Manuscript
  • Permissions
  • Terms of Use

General Information

  • About CFP
  • About the CFPC
  • Advertisers
  • Careers & Locums
  • Editorial Advisory Board
  • Subscribers

Journal Services

  • Email Alerts
  • Twitter
  • RSS Feeds

Copyright © 2023 by The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Powered by HighWire