Top 10 Smartphone Apps for the Elderly
Nowadays, smartphones are not limited to the younger generation – more and more elderly people are starting to realize that smartphones are useful and can be fun as well. In fact, one in four people over the age of 50 own a smartphone. Naturally, smartphones are not complete without smartphone apps, and since there are thousands of apps to choose from; we save you the hassle and headaches by giving you our top 10 smartphone apps for the elderly.
1. MedWatcher (free)
As an app that features simple descriptions of medications, their uses and their side effects, MedWatcher also offers news and safety alerts on select vaccines and prescription medicines. Indeed, these are the features that make MedWatcher a must-have application for every elderly around. You might also be interested to note that this app for the elderly is a project of Boston Children’s Hospital, Epidemico, the University of North Carolina and Harvard Medical School.
2. Words with Friends (free)
A Scrabble-like board game, this free app is bound to make a senior’s life more colorful than it used to be. This can be played alongside family, friends and even random strangers. This app for the elderly is beneficial to your grandpa’s memory, too, as consistent brain stimulation lessens the risks of obtaining degenerative brain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. With this, you don’t need to spend money on paper crossword puzzles and Sudoku leaflets anymore – Words with Friends has already got your grandpa’s memory covered.
3. Facebook Mobile (free)
Facebook is already a given since it promotes easier socialization and communication between senior citizens. However, did you know that a lot of elderly people use Facebook as well to play the Facebook games? After all, elderly people who play video games report a better sense of emotional well-being, so maybe a game-enabled Facebook app should be available in the near future as well.
4. iMutt (free)
It is common knowledge that pets give their owners a self-satisfying sense of well-being. Pets of course, make wonderful companions, especially for our elderly relatives who are alone. However, because owning a pet is costly and time-consuming, most elderly people are discouraged. Now, because of iMutt, a game produced by Dog Trust, elderly people can now benefit from the experience of feeding, walking and interacting with a virtual dog without any worry.
5. Med Reminder Pro ($2.99)
It’s a sad fact that the older the person is, the higher his chances of acquiring diseases and illnesses will be. Therefore, more and more senior citizens are required to take at least one medication every day. Since most senior citizens live by themselves, they need a foolproof way of ensuring their medications are taken on time – this is where Med Reminder comes in. Med Reminder Pro helps keep track of their medicines and takes care of their health at the same time.
6. Dragon Dictation (free)
Most senior citizens look for an app that can assist them in their day-to-day smartphone-related activities. Thanks to Dragon Dictation, the elderly can now send texts, post Facebook status updates, log in on their digital journals and even publish tweets; just by dictating everything. This voice-recognition app is even considered to be five times faster than typing on the actual keyboard.
7. EyeReader ($1.99)
Most elderly people have trouble reading small print in the dark – EyeReader is perfect and a great solution to the problem. EyeReader works in two ways: (a) the LED light of the iPhone is utilized to provide the light source and (b) the app also has a zoom function to magnify small print into larger ones for better reading.
8. Google Translate (free)
Since most senior citizens are retired, they are no doubt reaping the rewards of retirement. Traveling the world is usually the first thing that comes to minid. This is where Google Translate comes in handy – they can just refer to it whenever they find themselves stuck in a foreign language pinch. This app can be used when asking for directions, ordering in a restaurant and even bargaining for prices all over the world!
9. Remember the Milk (free)
Senior citizens are sometimes forgetful, even when it comes to the simple things. This app helps senior citizens remember their errands, keep track of their upcoming chores and even organize their day-to-day lives easily. One cool feature to note is this app syncs online every 24 hours, so seniors don’t have to worry too much about depending on technology. This app is like your grandma having her very own personal assistant.
10. A Story Before Bed (free)
Of course, nothing beats a good old-fashioned family-centered app that allows senior citizens to connect with their grandchildren! This app is a comforting way of bringing families closer. It works like this: using a webcam, grandparents can read and record a story from the app’s database; then the story is sent out to the kids. What’s great about this app is during the progress of the story, an image of the reader appears in the corner of the screen.
So there you have it! Are you thinking of downloading any of these apps for Grandma or Grandpa?