As we progress towards later life, it is easy to feel left behind with the fast and ever changing technologies, new methods and new ways of doing things that we have managed to do for a lifetime are forced upon us, sometimes creating much confusion and misunderstanding.

IT CAN SEEM A CRAZY WORLD THAT WE NOW LIVE IN

Everything seems to be online, electrical, digital, technical, and so different.

The idea of this section is to try to make things more understandable, explain changes, and to promote your safety both at home and outside. To give advice on who to contact, how to do things, make you aware of dangers and new forms of crime, and to show you useful ideas that can help improve your life.

Unfortunately thesedays it has become hard to trust anybody who call us on our telephones or who knocks on our doors, even if they do show identification cards, these can now be reproduced too easily using modern day computers. If anyone calls claiming they are from the Gas board, Electricity company, telephone or any other agency do not let them in, ask first for identification and before you open the door telephone the company direct to check they are legitimate, always phone the office number prined on a previous bill or from a directory, never use one given by the caller or from identification you are shown.

IS YOUR HOME SAFE ?

Many of our homes were built decades ago, some even centuries and way before electricity. When electricity became a standard fitting there were limited appliances around to use, this is why older houses have very few power sockets, sometimes only having one or two in each room.  In the 50's for instance many homes did not have a television and only had a radio or lamp that needed a power socket, these could be unplugged for use by occassionally used items such as an iron or vacuum cleaner.  These days everything requires electrical  power, computers, tablets, telephones, mobile phone chargers, hair dryers, even toys, a typical room can now have the need for twenty or more power sockets all to be used at the same time.

BUT IS IT SAFE TO USE ALL THESE ?

The wiring used in our houses limits the maximum amount of power available at any power outlet. The maximum is 3000 watts (13amps) per socket.

If we use any of the above adapters to increase our number of outlets, we can quite easily go beyond the maximum, causing the wiring that runs in our walls and under floorboards to overheat and even catch fire.

for instance:-

Plugging a Kettle (13amp), a Microwave (13amp) and a Toaster (13amp) into a powerstrip in the kitchen is causing a load of 39 amps, which is three times the maximum allowed.

If you do need additional outlets, it is advisable to get a qualified electrician to install them and any new wiring looms needed. Only use power strips as a temporary measure and then only with items that do not exceed the 13 amp maximum.

Many mature adults feel challenged by modern technology, and will reject or avoid it due to being afraid of what they do not understand. It can appear to be very technical and confusing and they may feel that learning how to use it is way beyond their ability.

But set up in the right way, and with simple instruction without the 'Tech-Speak' modern technology can really help to improve lifestyles.

One of the biggest issues as we get older is loneliness, we lose partners, our families move away and get caught up with busy lifestyles and find it harder to visit. But this can be easily overcome using modern Chat and videochat software, regardless of distance or location.

Does that comment ring any bells?...  Is that what you are thinking?

It is what both my parents kept saying to me, my father who used main frame computers for years buying coffee and bananas as a commercial banker, and my mother who could make a sewing machine do miracles and could once type fast enough to set my keyboard on fire.

'I could never learn how to use one of those!'...  Again said by both, but unknowingly they were, Mum was fascinated with youtube and clips of old television and the films and music of her past, and by moving the laptop in front of her so she could see better (out of my reach) and telling her to type the name in the search box she was using it by herself.  Dad was the same, he was unwittingly operating the mouse, zooming in and out, and changing to street-view to walk along the streets as he used google earth to view the places he had been to in the military, our old houses, and to see how London had changed since they moved away.

It was the same on every visit to see him, 'Can we look at that thingy of yours?' then hurs would be lost exploring all over the world.  When Mum departed Dad felt it badly, he tried to lose himself and time in his crosswords, and he would phone 2 or 3 times a day asking simple questions, just to hear a familiar voice.

If only they had let me set up a basic computer system for them, they could of talked to us, and most of the family who do have computers, they could of seen and talked to the grandchildren face to face using video-chat, without expensive phone calls abroad.

Give grandchildren a phone and you will get a handful of words from them before they are distracted with something else, but give them video-chat where they can see you and they will talk for an hour!

And they could of had hours of free entertainment, personalised to their tastes with Youtube, explored the world as if they were actually there, read books in large print, enjoyed endless puzzles and crosswords, found new recipes to try, got the missing answers to crossword questions, and explored past memories. Along with millions of other things on the Internet that would of filled the long never-ending days and loneliness.

DON'T BE THE SAME... DON'T SAY YOU CAN'T ... YOU COULD !

Today's AI technology is growing fast, in some countries Robots are now being used to assist in the care of the elderly, monitoring their needs and health, administering medications and more importantly acting as a companion reducing loneliness.

Robots are very expensive and at the moment far beyond most peoples financial abilities, but we do have cheaper devices that can help us, even assisting in controlling our environment.  

Devices such as Alexa, Echo,  can help us maintain independence, they not only provide a voiced feedback but can also operate other devices, they can make automatic emergency telephone calls, and can text or call family or care givers when things go wrong. They can remotely control our heating, open and close doors and curtains, play us music or read out a book. They can also act as alarm clock, calendar and diary reminding us of important appointments and events, tell us the weather or news, or remind us when it is time to take medication. They can also provide a vast amount of information.

These devices and what they can do are expanding fast, and they do not take a diploma in computer science to operate, they work by simple voice commands.

AI is good as an assistant, but it does not replace actual physical company, as these devices grow in capabilities we must ensure we do not over rely on them and forget to actually visit !