Senior citizens are using computers more than ever before. Many seniors in senior housing Vancouver, WA use computers on a regular basis. It makes sense that seniors would find computer technology not only useful, but also enjoyable. The most common reason seniors give for using computers is keeping in touch with family and friends: a full 93% of seniors gave this as their top reason for using their computer. The next two most popular reasons for internet use among seniors are making purchases online and accessing information.

Because computer use by seniors is growing, there are some new options in computers. Some new computers have been designed especially to be easier for people in the senior age group to use. Here are some examples. For seniors with little or no previous experience with computers, Telikin has come out with a new touch-screen computer. It’s ready to use right out of the box and comes pre-loaded with simplified software for email, accessing the internet, games, video chat, photo sharing, news, weather, and more.

Hewlett-Packard is making Senior PCs that come completely set up and ready to use. One of these is the Autopilot desktop that comes with software that provides one-click method for tasks such as letter writing, surfing the internet, writing documents, email and more. Other features of the Autopilot are medication and appointment reminder software, and a high contrast keyboard. For seniors with vision problems, Hewlett-Packard makes the Vision Plus model which comes with screen magnification software, a high-visibility keyboard and an all-in-one printer/scanner.

Another less expensive option is the Kiwi PC for seniors. It’s a user-friendly computer with a simplified navigation system, an oversized tool bar and large icons and text.

Many senior housing facilities now offer residents access to computers or wireless connectivity. This may be something you want to find out more about when you are looking for senior housing in Vancouver, WA.