Embracing Social Media: Best uses and how to avoid being scammed

Everyday more and more seniors are logging on to their computers, smart phones or tablets. Until recently email was the predominant utilization of technology among this crowd. However, a landmark study from The Pew Research Center conducted in 2012 showed one of three internet users now include use of social media and seven of ten seniors own a cell phone.

Why so popular? Social media is a great way to stay connected. Loved ones that live across the country, physical limitations or lack of transportation can contribute to social isolation which can lead to depression, fear and stress.

Technology and use of social media can keep users engaged, supported and informed. Social network sites are web-based services where users can create and post a public profile. You can also search profiles of other users. Once you locate another user from your search you have the option to add their content, like photos or videos, to your profile. In turn this creates an online community of people connecting with others of common interest. The most popular gatherings being Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and blogs.

To enjoy all the benefits of joining the online community you will want to learn the basics of social media. Many local libraries and community centers offer computer classes and SeniorNet.org, a non-profit organization, has online learning resources as well. There are many books on the subject as well, though you could always ask a younger family member or friend. My niece and younger colleagues have taught me about Twitter and how to navigate my smart phone!

Although it is fun to connect with others on social media sights you will want to follow these safety tips from Microsoft: Read these tips to help protect yourself when you use social networks.

Use caution when you click links that you receive in messages from your friends on your social website. Treat links in messages on these sites as you would links in email messages. (For more information, see Approach links in email with caution) 

Limit how much detailed personal information you post about yourself. A common way that hackers break into financial or other accounts is by clicking the "Forgot your password?" link on the account login page. To break into your account, they search for the answers to your security questions, such as your birthday, home town, high school class, or mother's middle name. If the site allows, make up your own password questions, and don't draw them from material anyone could find with a quick search. For more information, see: 

▪ What was the name of your first pet?

▪ What is screen scraping?

▪ Take charge of your online reputation

Don't trust that a message is really from who it says it's from. Hackers can break into accounts and send messages that look like they're from your friends, but aren't. If you suspect that a message is fraudulent,
use an alternate method to contact your friend to find out. This includes invitations to join new social networks. For more information, see Scammers exploit Facebook friendships.

To avoid giving away email addresses of your friends, do not allow social networking services to scan your email address book. When you join a new social network, you might receive an offer to enter your email address and password to find out if your contacts are on the network. The site might use this information to send email messages to everyone in your contact list or even everyone you've ever sent an email message to with that email address. Social networking sites should explain that they're going to do this, but some do not.

Type the address of your social networking site directly into your browser or use your personal bookmarks. If you click a link to your site through email or another website, you might be entering your account name and password into a fake site where your personal information could be stolen. For more tips about how to avoid phishing scams, see Email and web scams: How to help protect yourself.

Be selective about who you accept as a friend on a social network. Identity thieves might create fake profiles in order to get information from you. Choose your social network carefully. Evaluate the site that you plan to use and make sure you understand the privacy policy. Find out if the site monitors content that people post. You will be providing personal information to this website, so use the same criteria that you would to select a site where you enter your credit card.

Assume that everything you put on a social networking site is permanent. Even if you can delete your account, anyone on the Internet can easily print photos or text or save images and videos to a computer. And always, think twice before you use social networking sites at work. For more information, see Be careful with social networking sites, especially at work.

Otherwise, happy tweeting, friend-ing, following, sharing and liking!  


Resources
Sunrise Senior Living: Using technology to Stay in Touch

Huffington Post: Senior Technology

Sixty And Me: Technology is the Door to a Better Life after 60

SeniorNet.Org: Founded in 1986; offers discounts on computer-related and other products and services; holds regional conferences for volunteers; and collaborates in research on older adults and technology. 


References
Leist, A. K. (2013). Social media use of older adults: A mini-review. Gerontology, 59, 378–384. doi: 10.1159/000346818 

Xie, B., Watkins, I., Golbeck, J., & Huang, M. (2012) Understanding and changing older adults' perceptions and learning of social media. Educational Gerontology, (38)4, 282-296. doi:10.1080/03601277.2010.544580 

Zickuhr, K., Madden, M. (2012). Older adults and internet use: For the first time, half of adults 
age 65 and older are online. Retrieved from  http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Older-adults-and-internet-use.aspx

Author: Susan Polka RN, BSN, CCRN, is a registered nurse with over twenty years experience in health care. She has worked in long term care, community health, and acute care settings. She currently works as a clinical educator and assistant director of an inpatient nursing unit.

Caregiving Coping Strategies to Keep You Sane

"Every year, the media bombards us with advertisements showing the 'happy family' gathering for the holidays. People from different generations are together, having a wonderful time, sharing traditions of old and creating new ones as well.It is not that way, though, for a great number of individuals. For those who don’t have families of their own, or for those who live alone and have relatives living far away, holidays often bring heartbreak and depression. Those who have been used to family celebrations in the past and no longer have that to look forward to cannot accept the “change” in the tradition, especially if they keep hearing about others who are getting together with their own families." - Read more at Caregiver.com

This article by Helen Hunter, ACSW, CMSW, covers four great suggestions to evade the holiday blues. Other tips I recommend are:

1. Write
It's well know that Abraham Lincoln was an exceptional writer. He actually wrote all of his speeches as President and wrote many letters during the war. However, a handful of those letters did not get sent--intentionally. This is because when Lincoln was angry he would write piercing letters to the targeted individual, all to put the letter away in a folder labeled "never sent or signed". As a lawyer and President, he had to keep his composure, and writing those letters help in do so. 

2. Cry
It is ok to cry. Wether it's out of happiness, sadness, frustration, or anger. For similar reasons as writing a letter, it's so much better to let it out than hold it in. 

3. Ask
Find a way for someone to cover for you in order for you to indulge in a luxury. Whatever that is to you: shower uninterrupted, shop, see a friend, play golf, go for a drive, etc. A few hours can make all the difference.  


These tips are great addition to my posts on How to Make the Most of this Holiday Season and my Caregiver Travel Guide. Use these tips during any travel season, be it winter, spring, summer, or fall. 

Here's to hoping you enjoy the journey as much as you enjoy the destination.  

Tips for the Sandwich Generation Caregiver

"More than 50 million Americans support themselves, their children and are becoming the primary caregiver for an aging parent. This growing group, known as the “Sandwich Generation”, faces the financial and emotional burdens of caring for multiple generations. As parents age and require more assistance and care, it may be time to investigate options." - Visiting Nurse Association of Ohio

As a caregiver, it's equally as important to care for yourself. The Visiting Nurse Association of Ohio offers four tips for sandwich generation caregivers to obtain balance between taking care of their children and their older loved ones. 

Regardless of what holiday it is, here are 10 gifts to give yourself year round. 

Savvy Baby Boomers Push the Envelope

Savvy boomers are pushing the envelop for senior living. More and more, 50-somethings are relying on the Internet for initial research on senior living and other health care products and services. 

According to Andy Cohen, the co-founder and CEO of Caring.com - more than 50% of the senior living industry's referrals are coming from the web.In the 2012  study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, titled Baby Boomers and Digital Technology, close to 77% of the boomers, ages 47 to 65 are Internet users. According to the same study, 91% of that age group use the Internet for Search Engine activities and 81% use the Internet to Research products and services.

Social networks are also acquiring more senior users with each passing year. The Pew study demonstrates that internet users aged 74+ have experienced the fastest growth in use of social networking sites, which has quadrupled since 2008. Since social media users are significantly more likely to check their email frequently, the rise in social networking among senior citizens signals a further increase in frequent email use.

By 2015, eMarketer forecasts there will be over 26 million senior internet users in the U.S. By 2030, when tech-savvy baby boomers will mature into this demographic, the US Census Bureau predicts nearly one in five Americans will be seniors — a citizen demographic that cannot be ignored.

So what does this mean for longer term care and retirement homes? Like restaurants, senior living facilities will need to keep close tabs on their online reviews, rankings, and "google-ability". 

1) Review are crucial. About 87% of U.S. consumers trust local businesses after reading positive online reviews.

2) Dozens of senior care facility directories are popping up all over the internet. If you're not on the list, you will most likely go unnoticed. 

3) According to HubSpot (2012), 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results. Talk about pressure.

Meanwhile, games like bridge, shuffle, and dominos will be hitting the shelf, while e-readers, I-pads, and outlets will become a hot commodities. 

Where do you see the future of long term care and senior living communities? Will admission decrease or increase over the next 15-20 years? 

Work Resources for Caregiving Employee

As Baby Boomers begin to turn 65 , more and more businesses are facing the challenge of supporting employees who are caregivers for aging parents or relatives. This new employee role can easily become a problem if businesses don't heed to the warning signs.  

According to the MetLife Caregiver Cost Study, absenteeism by employees because of elder care responsibilities cost businesses within the US over $3.4 billion each year. This same report points out that it costs nearly $3 billion annually for US companies to replace employees who quit because of their many responsibilities as an elder caregiver. 

Obviously, this sends up some major red flags to companies. Employees taking care of their aging parents will have an impact on their attendance but also their productivity. These include costs associated with crisis in care, workday interruptions, supervisory time, unpaid leave, and reducing hours from full-time to part time. 

A business can not afford to let experienced employees quit when their caregiving responsibilities become too burdensome.  Skilled, trained and mature employees are an asset. It's difficult to replace the judgment, relationships, market savvy and wisdom which many of these caregiver employees bring. Not to mention, the costs of training a replacement could easily be more than any costs of accommodating existing employees. 

There are several ways a company can help their caregiving employees:

1.   Reach out. 
Try and understand what they are going through. These employees are going to take care of their loved ones whether their company and their supervisor are aware of it or not. Try and partner with them to make them successful both at home and at work. 

2.   Unite
Hold seminars or lunch gatherings where people can come and share the demands they are going through as caregivers. Invite everyone because there will be many who know that it is coming up for them and will want to learn all they can to prepare for what is ahead. By making open discussion of elderly care issues part of the discussion at work, these employees will feel that you truly want them to succeed. The local Area Agency on Aging, health system, and long term care insurance companies may even be good sources for guest speakers.

3. Brainstorm
Speak with other management about how they support their employed caregivers. Dig deeper to offer more paid time off, allow a few work-from-home days a month, or make deals with respite care and elder day care agencies in your area to offer discounts to these employees. Brainstorm out of the ordinary resources to offer these employees so they can focus on work while they are their. A satisfied employee is an employee who will not only work harder, but also represent your business well in words and in action.  

In the long run, partnering with caregivers in the workplace just makes good business sense.