Hi everyone,
Hope you all are well!
Last Friday we celebrated World Children’s Day (1st October) and I am sure you all enjoyed the celebrations with most schools carrying out virtual activities to celebrate and appreciate the ‘Children before Everything’.
International Days such as World Children’s Day are occasions to mark events or topics in order to promote, through awareness and action, the importance and the impact of the subject matter.
You would have read the Colombo Times article to mark the World Children’s Day where many children shared their thoughts on the advice they wish to give to their parents/adults. If you missed it, please refer the below link for the article and the video.
Just as we celebrated Children’s Day, the 1st October also is a day that marks another internationally important day. The International Day of Older Persons also falls on 1st October. Let me brief you all on this.
The International Day of Older Persons addresses issues that affect the elderly and looks at solutions to the challenges they face on a routine basis. The whole society benefits from the teachings and experience of the elderly. We should respect them and nurture them with love and care. Due to the older age they may be suffering from illness and may not be able to handle their own work. As the younger generation, we need to assist the elderly , support them and give them the strength to battle the grievances of the old age and to grow old with dignity.
“Digital Equity for All Ages” is the theme for this year’s International Day of Older Persons. The day aims to create awareness on the need for access and meaningful participation in the digital world by older persons.
The UN reports that older persons experience digital inequity to a greater extent than other groups in society; they either lack access to technologies, or are often not benefitting fully from the opportunities provided by technological progress.
As per the UN reports, globally, there were 703 million persons aged 65 or over in 2019. Over the next three decades, the number of older persons worldwide is projected to more than double, reaching more than 1.5 billion persons in 2050.
As Children you can also contribute to this cause and support the elderly to enhance digital participation by doing small tasks within your means. Your grandparents who have showered your parents and you all with love and care all these years may need help and sometimes we tend to overlook it.
Of course, there are many aspects the Government and all organizations should do to give confidence to the Elders to use digital products and also to educate them on cybercrimes and digital frauds and for Sri Lanka it’s a longer road ahead to do so.
But let me share few ways how you as a student/child can help elders to embrace digitalization in your homes.
- Help with the digital clarification
When your grandparents or an elderly person asks you to clarify something on a new technology, please do not disregard. Politely explain and offer to help if they need further clarity. Remember you may be up to date on new tech stuff, but they are not and their power to understand maybe slower. Always remember they took the time to teach you when you were smaller at a phase when you did not understand.
- Use of mobile phones
When an elderly person requests for help to set up the device or to understand the mode of operation, please help. The mobile is useful for them to make a distress call in an emergency. Hence please take time to teach them on how to use it.
Also, remember the elderly would prefer different features of a mobile phone than what a young person would like. Please always ask for their preferences prior to arranging a mobile or any device for the elderly.
Update the phone with all required applications so that they can conveniently use it. Help them to take backup of the phone numbers so that you can retrieve in case the numbers are deleted.
- Never ridicule what they say
We often make the mistake of laughing and mocking at a statement made by a person (young or old) sans any thought to the feelings of the other person. When an elderly person makes a comment or asks a question, please do not ridicule them. Clarify and correct their understanding on the matter. Always respect them and ensure you don’t hurt their feelings.
- Document the steps
The elderly at times finds it difficult to remember everything we tell them. It is a kind gesture if you could put down in writing the steps so that they can read and understand as and when needed.
For example, how to use the ATM Machine maybe a swift operation for you. However, an elderly person may forget to remove the card from the machine. If there is a note with all the steps, they can check if all steps are done prior to leaving the ATM.
- Enrich them by reading
When you were small your grandparents may have read books to you while you listen and play. Some elders prefer to read on their own, but some others may have visual complications in reading. This is the time to reciprocate.
The elderly mostly like to read news, documents on health and well being etc. Ask them what they like to read and if your grandparents are tech savvy you can share websites links that are useful and mark them as favourites so that it is easily accessible. Download applications that are useful to their phones.
Read to them or make available the news source so that they understand the latest news and they feel enriched.
- Teach them features that are useful
New features you may adapt can be useful to elders too. Some elders are digitally savvy and would be open to learning new features that would support them.
For example, many elders prefer to communicate in writing than verbal with banks and other organizations. Teach them the ‘dictate’ function on Microsoft word, which will allow them to dictate while the speech would be converted to text. They can easily complete the letter in a digital format and either email or print and post it.
These are just few of the many things that one can do. This one day celebration is to create awareness but it is our responsibility to care for the elderly and to respect them each and every day.
Think about the ways you can help the elderly around you.
I will leave you to ponder with the words by Tia Walker, Author of The Inspired Caregiver: Finding Joy While Caring for Those You Love
“To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors”.
Stay safe and blessed!!
Regards
Aunty Sesh
