This blog post is a cross post with Silverevolution. Silverevolution is an ACCESS Health blog devoted entirely to innovations and issues related to care of the elderly and chronically ill. Click here to visit the Silverevolution blog.
ACCESS Health studies good examples of elder care in Sweden. In a series of group interviews, the Swedish team of ACCESS Health meets different groups of senior citizens to understand their needs. In this interview, the participants discuss technology, share their views on Swedish healthcare, and tell us about their experiences as informal caregivers. When they learned about the work of ACCESS Health, the participants volunteered for the focus group. The focus group participants live in the city of Eskilstuna, one hour southwest of Stockholm.
This blog post is an extract from a group interview conducted on December 31, 2014, with Gudrun Bergström, eighty six; Gujje Byström, eighty nine; Inga Brehmer, eighty eight; and Ingrid Svahn, eighty five.
This is an insightful and fun read! Enjoy!
Inga Bremer (IB): My name is Inga Bremer. I am eighty eight years old. I am interested in technology. I own an iPad. I own a Doro telephone. [Doro is a company that developed a simplified mobile telephone for older users.] My Doro is easy to use. My Doro telephone is not a smartphone. Dora does develop smartphones for older consumers right now. I also own a laptop. I own other technical devices at home, such as a dishwasher and a washing machine. I also have a small automatic vacuum cleaner so that I do not need to vacuum constantly. I have three large flat screen televisions with over fifty channels. I would call myself mildly interested in technology.
Gudrun Bergström (GB): My name is Gudrun Bergström. I am eighty six years old. I love technology. I am handicapped. I have poor eyesight. Technical solutions help me live with my sight impairment. I do not own a smartphone. I own a Doro telephone.
I have one of the newest stationary computers that you can buy. I use a magnifying software program that helps me increase the size of the text of the documents on my computer. I own an external hardware product. This hardware product helps me to magnify texts and images so that I can read and see the images better. This program is called Zoom Text.
I wear a watch that reads the time for me out loud. That is a great device. I have hearing aids. I also have three televisions. I use my three televisions. I have connected my television in the kitchen with an external hard drive so that I can record programs and store them.
Sofia Widen (SW): Do you record a lot of television programs?
GB: Yes. It allows me to watch them when I want to watch the programs. It took some time to figure out how to record programs. Learning is a gradual process.
I buy technology products. The booklet with instructions is written in a small text. This is problematic. It is difficult for older consumers to read small text. I can read instructions with my magnifying program. My dream is that doctors will find a way to operate a new sight nerve into my eyes so that I regain my sight. We are not there yet.
SW: Do you use your computer to browse websites?
GB: I browse a lot of different websites. I disapprove of some things that people write on Facebook.
SW: Do you have a Facebook account?
GB: Of course. I am on Facebook.
SW: Are you active on other social media sites?
GB: No. I am not interested in blogging or in tweeting. I use Skype. I Skype with my family. I have a wireless internet connection in my apartment.
IB: We should have spoken before you, Gudrun. You have so many devices.
GB: I love technology. My husband was not interested in technology. I installed devices at home. I learn about new products. I want to buy them. More people my age ought to take an interest in technology. Technology can help the elderly.
Ingrid Svahn (IS): Technology is in your nature. Either, you understand technology or you do not.
GB: I disagree. Look at the young who adopt technology. Are they born with an ability to absorb technology quickly? I do not think so. The young set aside time to learn how to use the technology.
IS: My name is Ingrid Svahn. I just turned eighty five. My husband knew everything about technology. I never needed to learn. My husband passed away a few years ago. I use modern technology. I am not interested in technology. I had a computer. I threw it out when it crashed.
SW: What did you use your computer for?
IS: I served on the board of an organization. I used my computer to type out the minutes from our board meetings. I have a smartphone. I use my smartphone sometimes.
SW: How do use your smartphone?
IS: I play games. I like Alphabet and Scrabble. I will say, though, that like other retirees, I do not have time to play all these games. Many retired people I know say they are busy. I also feel that I am busy all the time. I also own televisions. I use a dishwasher and a vacuum cleaner.
I use a pen for my touchscreen smartphone. I do not have Wi-Fi. I access the internet through the mobile network. Other family members discuss what kind of technology I need. They discuss whether I should install Wi-Fi or not. I do not know how the discussion will end. I might buy a tablet.
GB: I recommend a tablet. Tablets are great. You can carry it around. You can carry a mobile phone of course. I would not compare the two products. A tablet is helpful for my reduced sight. I prefer a larger tablet.
Gujje Byström (GBO): I am eighty nine years old. I am not interested in technology. I own one television. I watch eleven channels. I dislike watching television during the day. I record my programs. I watch them in the evening.
From the left, Inga Brehmer with her Doro telephone and her tablet. In the middle, Gudrun Bergström, with her Doro telephone and her tablet. To the right, Ingrid Svahn with her smartphone.
GBO: I use hearing aids. I use a walker. The walker helps me when I shop. I can carry a lot of bags. I hang them on my walker. People pestered me to get a walker. I think it is wise to wait until you really need a walker before getting one. You become dependent on your walker. I could not manage to carry my groceries without my walker.
GB: I recommend a tablet. Tablets are great. You can carry it around. You can carry a mobile phone of course. I would not compare the two products. A tablet is helpful for my reduced sight. I prefer a larger tablet.
Gujje Byström (GBO): I am eighty nine years old. I am not interested in technology. I own one television. I watch eleven channels. I dislike watching television during the day. I record my programs. I watch them in the evening.
From the left, Inga Brehmer with her Doro telephone and her tablet. In the middle, Gudrun Bergström, with her Doro telephone and her tablet. To the right, Ingrid Svahn with her smartphone.
GBO: I use hearing aids. I use a walker. The walker helps me when I shop. I can carry a lot of bags. I hang them on my walker. People pestered me to get a walker. I think it is wise to wait until you really need a walker before getting one. You become dependent on your walker. I could not manage to carry my groceries without my walker.
I prefer to use a cane. I have a beautiful cane. I like my cane. I have had hip and knee surgery. After my surgery I decided to get a cane. There are flowers on my cane.
IB: I have a cane. My doctor prescribed the cane, so I obtained it for free. We buy technology such as canes and walkers. We buy them because we want nicer versions. In Sweden, you obtain technical aids from your doctor or from your municipal care organization. The devices are almost free or charge. You pay up to a fixed sum every year. This is a low sum. If you pay the fixed sum, you can obtain all devices that you need.
GB: We can discuss if you always obtain all the devices and all the aids that you need. I have a friend who requested two walkers. She was refused those two walkers. She wanted one robust walker for outside use in the snow. She wanted a smaller walker for use inside her apartment.
I returned the walker I was given for free. I bought my own walker. Look at my walker. I can lift it. It is light. [Gudrun demonstrates. She brings out her walker to the focus group.]
GBO: Those walkers are expensive. You made an investment.
GB: I can carry up to seven bottles of wine with this walker!
SW: Can you use the walker with thin wheels outside in the snow?
GB: If it is that snowy I do not go outside. There is no reason for me to leave the house when I cannot walk on the streets. Most Swedish cities are not accessible to the elderly in the winter. Too much snow and ice on the pavement prevents the elderly from leaving their houses.
Södermanland County Council hands out two types of walkers: one with large wheels and one with smaller wheels. Rules vary from county to county because regional governments are autonomous. The number of aids that you can obtain from each county varies.
GBO: The design of certain walkers can hurt your shoulders. I experience pain in my shoulders because of the way I walk and what I carry. I never experienced pain in my shoulders before. I have experienced pain in all other parts of my body before. I never suffered pain in my shoulders before.
You can now read the entire interview in the Knowledge Center.