Elderly struggle to adapt to digital tools in lockdown
Since the government introduced a public lockdown last month to curb the spread of the coronavirus, and the focus has shifted to online transactions and social exchanges, many less tech-savvy elderly people are struggling to adapt.
Although it’s too early for conclusions, experts working with the elderly point to a trend.
Petros Kechagias, who specializes in geropsychiatry and runs the gernaoallios.gr website, told Kathimerini that many of his patients had stopped sessions as they were uncomfortable with the idea of shifting from face-to-face to online discussions or did not have the means to do so.
Those suffering the most are people who were already isolated or did not have good ties with their relatives or children, “those who didn’t have a support network.”
Experts recommend taking the time to explain social media to elderly relatives, as well as e-banking and other online transactions which can seem daunting at first.
