Visiting Angels, a national in-home senior care company with local offices, has started a Silver Surfers program. Caregivers come to seniors' homes to teach them new technology, everything from text messaging and Skype, to Facebook and the Internet.
Seniors can earn a "Silver Surfers" certification when they learn new technology. This sounds like a great idea and Visiting Angels also says its new program can help older Americans battle depression.
It cites studies that show seniors 65 and older who surf the web can ease depression by 20 percent. I imagine it gives people a sense of being connected and a focus, if not done to excess.
A University of Arizona study found seniors who use Facebook showed 25 percent improvement in mental skills -- essentially improving their working memory, according to the Angels.
Another study shows seniors who visit social networking sites like Facebook have a positive emotional experience when measured by breathing rates, brain stimulation and pupil dilation.
I know many retirement communities in the Boston area and on the South Shore have computers for their residents to use, along with some one-to-one instruction in many places.
Congratulations to the Visiting Angels on developing this new program.