CYBER SENIORS - A REALITY CHECK
(NC)-It's not just teenagers who are clicking, surfing and text messaging their way through cyber space these days. Seniors are the fastest growing group of Internet users in Canada.
Times are changing and more and more seniors are putting their fear of technology aside and embracing this new medium. There are several reasons for the increase in senior cyber surfers - mostly they want to stay in touch with their grandchildren and other family members, plus computers are so much easier to use nowadays.
The Government of Canada has responded to this increase in use by seniors by creating Seniors Canada On-line (http://www.seniors.gc.ca). It has everything you would ever want to know or learn about from Caregivers to Computers & Learning, from Financial & Legal to Health and wellness. All seniors have to do is look on the left-hand navigation bar, choose their province and topic of interest, or click on the "A to Z Index" and choose fitness, gardening or respite care and a whole host of information pops up. The site is a fast and straightforward way for seniors, their families and caregivers including the organizations that support them to access authoritative and trusted information provided by governments and other well-known non-governmental organizations. The site was designed with seniors in mind with advice from a citizen advisory panel.
One of the nicest things about the site is that users can increase the text size for easier reading, or watch an audio-visual demonstration of how the site actually works. It also features a message board that allows seniors to talk to other seniors to exchange ideas, comments, or share experiences.
Seniors, caregivers and their families can also share their thoughts and opinions about the website or ask a question about a program or service by clicking on the "Contact Us".
Seniors are proving every day that they are not techno phobic. To surf the Seniors Canada On-Line website, go to http://www.seniors.gc.ca. This information may also be accessed, alongside other topics of interest, through the primary Government of Canada website at canada.gc.ca.
