Best apps for seniors
Contrary to the phrase relating to old dogs and new tricks, older people are embracing technology – so much so that 72 percent of Aussie seniors couldn’t imagine life without the internet.
Seventy-two percent of Aussie seniors couldn’t imagine life without the internet (Source: Shutterstock)
According to the recent nbn™ GranTechies Report, the majority of these tech-savvy grandparents – 93 percent – admit to jumping online every day.
Older consumers are not only actively using their technology devices for communication through social networks and instant messaging, they’re increasingly embracing apps.
With 2 million apple apps and 2.2 million android apps available for download as of June 2016, knowing what is out there can be a challenge – so here is a selection of apps that can help make your life a little bit easier.
Voice recognition apps
Apps which turn speech into text are ideal if you have difficulty with typing due to arthritis or other conditions. Although they were initially aimed at busy executives who haven’t the time to write notes or can’t type quickly, these apps allow you to dictate your text messages, emails and longer letters, and some also recognise several different languages.
Apps for the visually impaired
From apps which read text aloud to you to turning your phone into a lighted magnifying glass, there are a wide range of apps to assist help if you are visually impaired. Some apps are more interactive than others; for instance, you can take a photo, upload it to the app and a trusted online helper (or object recognition software) will let you know whether the tin on the left is tomatoes or what colour an article of clothing is.
Medication reminders
There are a variety of medication reminders already available, however many medication apps go one step further. With these apps, you can set audio reminders and these are particularly helpful if you’re having to take medication for example every four hours. Some have features that allow you to skip doses and suspend alerts for when you are sleeping. Furthermore, many don’t need an internet connection and can track your time zone if you’re travelling.
Toilet trackers
With these apps, you’ll never be caught short again! This app is particularly handy if you’re planning a trip or you’re visiting somewhere new. Search criteria include street, suburb or place name and you can filter by features such as disabled access.
Find your phone and other misplaced items
Combining an app with location-tracking chips, misplaced keys, wallets and even umbrellas can now easily be found. The app rings the location-tracking chip in the item and the chip plays a loud tune until you find it. You can also find your phone by pressing the chip on one of the items which then rings your phone. Your phone will ring even if it’s set to silent.
Where did I park?
It can be frustrating to remember where you parked your car between hundreds of other vehicles. Finding your car in a busy parking lot can be easy with the use of a parking reminder app. The app will simply guide you back to your parked car and often offers notifications for parking times so you don’t have to worry about a parking ticket.
Detecting your fall
Fall-detecting apps use the gyroscope in your smartphone to detect sudden downwards movement. It the phone hasn’t moved for a while after it has detected a drop, the app alerts the people whose contacted details you’ve programmed in. This lets them know you’ve fallen and enables help to come quickly.
Health apps
There are specific apps for a variety of health conditions. Some may aid with keeping active, or recovery after an operation or stroke while others can help monitor heart rate or blood pressure. There are also apps that can help you locate all the services in your location and those that let you store your medical history so you always have the information on hand when seeing a health professional.
