AI, Technology, and Healthy Aging

Video/podcast Interview, Life Happens

Show to be aired 2/13/25 – Link will be posted on the Project GOAL website as soon as it goes live.

Quote in article in AARP Bulletin Publication, November 2024 Issue

Online Shopping’s Holiday Horrors: Counterfeit products and fake online stores can steal your money and identity.

Published by the National Council on Aging (NCOA)

Certain types of technology have the potential to help ease social isolation and loneliness, especially for older women.

A majority of women 50+ are adept at using technology and already are likely using devices to connect with others.

For older adults, the convenience of online shopping is an enormous benefit, and at several times a year, savvy shoppers can locate sales on popular items.  Today, Amazon is kicking-off its Prime Deals Days for members.  While it’s a great time to get online and purchase some deals, it’s also important to be aware of the latest trends in online scams.

Losses due to scams continue to increase with adoption of high-speed internet.

The number of those age 65 and older in the U.S. using the internet has now reached an all-time high of 88% and the aging community is realizing the many benefits that come with the online world. The significant growth in the adoption of broadband has had an incredible impact on the older adult community. 

The copper wire telephone network was the foundation for our communications system. Today, telecommunications carriers across the country are working to modernize the network to improve the way we communicate by moving toward an internet-based network.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that consumers continue to lose significant money to scams and fraud. While those 18-59 report a greater number of fraud cases, older adults have more significant financial loss associated with scams.  However, many incidences of fraud are not reported by consumers, and the total cost of fraud to all consumers is far greater than reports indicate.

Host Shirley Rooker speaks with Debra Berlyn, the executive director of the Project to Get Older Adults onLine (Project GOAL), about what the latest consumer electronics show in Las Vegas has to offer the cyber-savvy senior citizen.

Listen on federalnewsnetwork.com

Debra Berlyn has spent much of career working to help older adults live well. She is the Executive Director of Project GOAL, which stands for get older adults online. She joined In Focus host, Mike Kallmeyer, and described how technology can actually help people age well and what steps need to be taken to help this group of people start using technology more often.

Increasingly, technology innovations for aging and accessibility provide amazing opportunities for older adults to live better in and around their homes. This year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) showcased tech innovations that revealed the direction innovations for aging and accessibility are headed. Like at CES 2023, the advances on display were all amazing!

It is downright shocking that millions of low-income older adults will lose their broadband connection due to uncertainty of funding.

It is downright shocking that millions of low-income older adults, members of our one of our most vulnerable communities, will lose their broadband connection due to the uncertainty of funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program.  For older adults in financial need, the extension of funding for the ACP is critical.

A broadband connection opens a universe of opportunities and benefits for older adults that grows exponentially.

Will Grammy find that “connection” and get the final rose? While that remains to be seen, we do know older adults are increasingly getting connected to broadband!  While reports indicate there are still a significant number in the aging community who aren’t connected (22 million still don’t have broadband, representing 42% of the 65 and older U.S. population), there are many new and recent 65+ Internet users, thanks to major commitments from the government and industry.

There is one activity that increased during the pandemic: online shopping.  Consumers embrace of e-commerce has been ongoing and continues to grow, with online spending in 2022 skyrocketing to a record $1.3 trillion.¹ In just the second quarter of 2023, we spent nearly $253 million online.²

Today, three-year old Max wants to get on the family computer and see his Grammy on the other side of the country, but she could be one of the approximately 34 percent of those age 65 and olderwho still aren’t connected to the internet at home.

Advances in technology offer a window into infinite possibilities to support independent living and general wellness in our modern world. Using a home high-speed internet/wifi connection, today’s older adult can blast off with a myriad of smart home devices, safety and security tools, entertainment systems, and personal connection devices designed to help with critical communications with family, friends, and health professionals.

Today’s the day for 5-year-old Maya’s Grammy to get serious about her holiday shopping. 71-year-old Jeanette has her list at the ready for the toys and clothes she wants to buy for Maya and her six other grandchildren. The car is in the driveway, her coat is hanging by the door, and her purse is on the hall table. This holiday season, however, she is staying in her slippers and brewing another cup of coffee, opening her laptop, and accomplishing all her shopping online from the comfort of her home. Jeanette is joining the growing number of older adults who have embraced technology, adopted broadband devices, and are making this holiday easier by shopping online. Forget the traffic jams, parking challenges and crowds!