tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/senior-health-40485/articlesSenior health – The Conversation2020-01-28T18:55:16Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1304642020-01-28T18:55:16Z2020-01-28T18:55:16ZSeniors struggle with technology, and often their kids won’t help<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311733/original/file-20200124-81352-1bonml6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=15%2C0%2C5065%2C3160&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many older people are wary of asking for help with technology.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Seniors may not enjoy the stereotype of struggling with technology, but undeniably many older people do have difficulty mastering their devices.</p>
<p>A 2016-17 <a href="http://landing.deloitte.com.au/rs/761-IBL-328/images/tmt-mobile-consumer-survey-2017_pdf.pdf">Deloitte survey of Australian consumers</a> found 78% of seniors aged 65-75 owned a smartphone, as well as 82% of those aged 55-64.</p>
<p>My colleagues and I recently conducted a <a href="https://www.shapingconnections.org/resources">survey of 750 older Australians</a> (mostly over 70). We found high levels of digital device ownership, but only “moderate” levels of confidence in using them. </p>
<p>Many seniors who struggled with digital devices felt they lacked support. In particular, they said their own families often displayed a “can’t be bothered explaining” attitude. </p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, this attitude is very unhelpful. There is plenty all of us can do to help the seniors in our lives get connected.</p>
<h2>Unhelpful children</h2>
<p>Our survey found seniors were most comfortable using computers and had the most difficulty with tablets. More concerningly, we discovered that seniors who go looking for advice often face serious obstacles.</p>
<p>Among those who asked for tech advice, 44% were most likely to approach their adult children first. A further 23% listed their children as their second choice. But they weren’t always helped with a smile.</p>
<p>Many respondents said their adult children didn’t have the patience or willingness to help. <a href="https://www.shapingconnections.org/insights">Follow-up interviews with older Australians</a> revealed that explaining new apps and constantly evolving technologies to someone who isn’t a digital native can carry a lot of emotional tension. </p>
<p>Some survey participants didn’t want their older parents to have more technology, because they thought this would result in more work for them. </p>
<p>As one participant, Mary, related: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>My daughter wouldn’t allow me to have a computer. She said I didn’t need it!</p>
</blockquote>
<p>On the other hand, some older people simply didn’t want to ask for help because they didn’t wanted to demonstrate their independence and not seem technologically inept. </p>
<p>In some cases, people avoided asking for help so as to avoid conflict or maintain family relationships.</p>
<h2>Grandkids are friendlier</h2>
<p>We discovered grandchildren were generally more eager to give advice, but only 7% of older people went to them first. Seniors saw grandchildren as more willing to help, and sometimes willing to trade technology advice for other kinds of help such as swimming lessons.</p>
<p>When asked about this, 72-year-old Jenny said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>My grandchild is far more tolerant than my grown-up adult children are. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>But while their hearts are in the right place, grandkids tend to fix a specific problem with a device without actually teaching their grandparent how to do it
themselves. </p>
<h2>Other options</h2>
<p>After their own children, the next most common place for seniors to turn was professionals. Fifteen per cent of older people said they would go to professionals first, and 21% said the pros would be their second option. </p>
<p>However, professionals in retail outlets were not well trusted, and were seen to have a sales agenda that pushed unwanted products.</p>
<p>Around 13% of seniors surveyed reported asking their spouse or partner first for advice, while 8% asked friends their own age. However, in both cases the advice was not always helpful and sometimes plain wrong.</p>
<h2>What can you do?</h2>
<p>There are a few simple ways you can help your older friends and relatives reach across the digital divide.</p>
<p>First, try to make an effort to invest some time in helping a senior use their device. While it’s constructive to teach them a specific task, it’s also about boosting their overall confidence and helping them live more independently.</p>
<p>Also, send them links to instructional videos on YouTube. Our study found that once older people are past a certain knowledge threshold, they can independently search for information on how to use technology. </p>
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<p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-younger-people-can-learn-from-older-people-about-using-technology-107607">What younger people can learn from older people about using technology</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>YouTube turned out to be one of seniors’ biggest allies for learning new digital skills. It allows them to search for content and watch at their own pace, as many times as needed.</p>
<p>As 77-year-old Peter explained: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>YouTube is good because you can run a YouTube, and as you’re running it, you can stop it, do what you’ve got to do, and then come back and run it a bit more, and do the next part of it.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We found seniors also profited from collective computer classes, such as those held at the <a href="https://www.u3aonline.org.au/find-a-u3a">University of the Third Age</a>, <a href="https://www.ascca.org.au/">seniors’ computers clubs</a>, and local libraries. These classes gave them a chance to learn the skills themselves in an open, social environment. </p>
<p>It removed the pressure from learning, while retaining their cherished autonomy.</p>
<p>While some seniors are very savvy with a tablet – after all, it was Boomers who led the computer revolution we now enjoy – the rapid pace of technological change combined with an <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BriefingBook43p/ageingpopulation">ageing society</a> presents a serious issue. </p>
<p>To face this issue, as a first step we should ask ourselves – as children, grandchildren, spouses and friends – what’s our role in helping those older than us keep up with technology?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130464/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bernardo Figueiredo receives funding from Life Activities Victoria and the University of the Third Age. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Torgeir Aleti receives funding from Life Activities Victoria and the University of the Third Age.</span></em></p>As technology moves faster and our population gets older, here are some things we can all do to help seniors keep up.Bernardo Figueiredo, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, RMIT UniversityTorgeir Aleti (né Watne), Lecturer in Marketing, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1086572018-12-17T11:39:19Z2018-12-17T11:39:19ZWhy you should give your grandparents a 3D printer for Christmas<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250327/original/file-20181212-110249-1j5edjc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C35%2C982%2C712&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">3D printed adaptive aids can cut costs by more than 94 percent.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">J.M. Pearce</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Senior citizens might really like – and use – a 3D printer. That’s the surprising, and money-saving, conclusion of a new study I co-authored: 3D printers can <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics3040089">save arthritis patients money</a> by more cheaply manufacturing plastic gadgets that help them do routine tasks like open jars and put on socks.</p>
<p>By 2040, about <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics/arthritis-related-stats.htm">one-quarter of the U.S. population</a> is expected to have arthritis – a physical ailment making joint movements difficult and painful. In addition to their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/art.22565">health care expenses</a>, arthritis patients often have additional needs that do not show up on medical bills and are not covered by insurance. For example, people with arthritic hands can find daily tasks like opening jars – or even eating with a spoon – to be cumbersome and painful. Many companies make and sell adaptive aids like <a href="https://www.arthritissupplies.com/right-hand-scoop-spoon.html">specially shaped spoons</a> and special handles that makes a toothbrush easier to hold. Some patients need dozens of these sorts of items, to help with various daily tasks. But those devices can be expensive – a <a href="https://www.arthritissupplies.com/right-hand-scoop-spoon.html">basic adaptive spoon can cost US$25</a>, vastly more than a standard spoon in any shop.</p>
<p>Other assistive items like key holders and pill-splitters can help arthritis patients continue to live independently. Though many of these items are made of cheap plastic, the costs can be prohibitively high for poor people as well as better-off people living on fixed incomes. Research I participated in found that using free online designs and a basic 3D printer to make these assistive aids can <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3417/3/4/89">save arthritis patients more than 94 percent</a> of the cost of the commercially available products. A typical adaptive aid costs about $25; a 3D printed one costs about a dollar. That generates savings that add up to more than cover the cost of the printer itself.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-jl4sLLnuQI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How 3D printing adaptive aids saves money.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What would Grandma make?</h2>
<p>There are dozens of adaptive aids that can be printed for pennies, helping with tasks like refueling a car, chopping vegetables and using scissors.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250091/original/file-20181211-76971-jpqpik.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250091/original/file-20181211-76971-jpqpik.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250091/original/file-20181211-76971-jpqpik.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250091/original/file-20181211-76971-jpqpik.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250091/original/file-20181211-76971-jpqpik.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250091/original/file-20181211-76971-jpqpik.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250091/original/file-20181211-76971-jpqpik.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250091/original/file-20181211-76971-jpqpik.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Make removing the gas cap easy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">J.M. Pearce</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250092/original/file-20181211-76974-1sy5bj3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250092/original/file-20181211-76974-1sy5bj3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250092/original/file-20181211-76974-1sy5bj3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250092/original/file-20181211-76974-1sy5bj3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250092/original/file-20181211-76974-1sy5bj3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250092/original/file-20181211-76974-1sy5bj3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250092/original/file-20181211-76974-1sy5bj3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250092/original/file-20181211-76974-1sy5bj3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">3D printing makes opening locks even with tiny keys less painful.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">J.M. Pearce</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250093/original/file-20181211-76962-14x1yuf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250093/original/file-20181211-76962-14x1yuf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250093/original/file-20181211-76962-14x1yuf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250093/original/file-20181211-76962-14x1yuf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250093/original/file-20181211-76962-14x1yuf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250093/original/file-20181211-76962-14x1yuf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250093/original/file-20181211-76962-14x1yuf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250093/original/file-20181211-76962-14x1yuf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Chop your veggies again with ease.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">J.M. Pearce</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250096/original/file-20181211-76968-oy7oa3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250096/original/file-20181211-76968-oy7oa3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250096/original/file-20181211-76968-oy7oa3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250096/original/file-20181211-76968-oy7oa3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250096/original/file-20181211-76968-oy7oa3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250096/original/file-20181211-76968-oy7oa3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250096/original/file-20181211-76968-oy7oa3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250096/original/file-20181211-76968-oy7oa3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">3D printing can help cut paper.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">J.M. Pearce</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our study technically and economically evaluated 20 fully free open-source designs for adaptive aids designed by Michigan Tech students and made available on <a href="http://www.appropedia.org/Economic_Potential_for_Distributed_Manufacturing_of_Adaptive_Aids_for_Arthritis_Patients_in_the_U.S.#Gallery">Appropedia</a> and <a href="https://www.myminifactory.com/">MyMiniFactory</a>. This is just a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechatronics.2013.06.002">tiny fraction of the 3D printed products available for anyone</a> with access to a 3D printer. People can download not just the designs for free, but also software that lets them adapt, personalize or customize the items for themselves or their loved ones. </p>
<p>We found that we could 3D print all 20 example adaptive aids for $20 – the cost of the plastic filament the 3D printer uses to make items. On the commercial market, the adaptive aids would cost over $20 each. A person, or family, who 3D printed 25 aids would save enough to more than pay for a <a href="https://mashable.com/2018/05/04/best-3d-printers-for-beginners/">relatively inexpensive $500 3D printer</a> – and a senior center that 3D printed another 50 could easily recoup the cost of a middle-range commercial desktop 3D printer.</p>
<p>Some people’s insurance or Medicare plan does help pay for adaptive aids. But even then patients usually must pay a portion, with copays around <a href="https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/durable-medical-equipment-dme-coverage">20 percent</a>. Our analysis found that even this group of patients would save significant amounts of money 3D printing their assistance items at home.</p>
<h2>Arthritis attacks the young, too</h2>
<p>Arthritis is not just for old people. For example, professional tennis player <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/26/sport/caroline-wozniacki-rheumatoid-arthritis-tennis-wta-finals-spt-intl/index.html">Caroline Wozniacki</a> was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at age 28, just a few weeks before the 2018 U.S. Open. Like most young people diagnosed with arthritis, she was shocked. </p>
<p>Younger people diagnosed with what is often viewed as an old person’s disease may <a href="https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/young-people/living-with-arthritis/">feel embarrassed</a> and want to limit the number of people who know about their condition. Those patients would no doubt be glad to save the money, but perhaps be even more interested in 3D printing because it would let them customize and build their aid items in the privacy of their own homes.</p>
<p>Consider, for example, the normally private act of clipping your toenails. Some people with arthritis find it difficult to do this with small nail clippers, so they get <a href="https://www.groupon.com/articles/what-is-a-pedicure-guide-to-cost-tips-and-types">pedicures that cost in general between $35 and $60</a>. Some might pay <a href="https://www.arthritissupplies.com/deluxe-nail-care-board.html">$36 to buy a plastic handle</a> that attaches to a standard nail clipper, letting them cut their own nails at home. But a 3D printed handle costs about a dollar – a 97 percent savings.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250330/original/file-20181212-110237-12vybpt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250330/original/file-20181212-110237-12vybpt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250330/original/file-20181212-110237-12vybpt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=354&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250330/original/file-20181212-110237-12vybpt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=354&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250330/original/file-20181212-110237-12vybpt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=354&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250330/original/file-20181212-110237-12vybpt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=445&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250330/original/file-20181212-110237-12vybpt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=445&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250330/original/file-20181212-110237-12vybpt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=445&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A 3D printed adapter fits standard nail clippers, letting people use a larger lever to clip their own nails.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">J.M. Pearce</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How can you get 3D printed aids?</h2>
<p>Making adaptive aids using a 3D printer is particularly useful because of how easy it is to customize printed items for a person’s hand size or personal aesthetic. The software programs that make and modify designs, and that control 3D printers, are <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies5010007">getting easier to use</a>; in any case, many older people are technically adept. In fact, some of the <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:380987">best 3D printable designs</a> for <a href="http://www.appropedia.org/Recyclebot">recyclebots</a> were made by a retired engineer.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250095/original/file-20181211-76980-h8srnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250095/original/file-20181211-76980-h8srnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250095/original/file-20181211-76980-h8srnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250095/original/file-20181211-76980-h8srnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250095/original/file-20181211-76980-h8srnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250095/original/file-20181211-76980-h8srnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250095/original/file-20181211-76980-h8srnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250095/original/file-20181211-76980-h8srnm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Writing is easy again with a 3D printed pen holder.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">J.M. Pearce</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Of course, not everyone is interested in buying the machinery or learning how to use it. In many communities there are volunteers who are willing to <a href="https://ultimaker.com/en/blog/52650-connecting-students-and-seniors-to-solve-real-world-challenges-using-3d-printing">help people with disabilities</a> or medical conditions make what they need. The <a href="https://www.makersmakingchange.com/">Makers Making Change</a> nonprofit group even takes requests online. Many <a href="http://themakermap.com">community centers</a> and <a href="https://opensource.com/article/17/12/paying-it-forward-aalto-fab-lab">local libraries</a> also offer machinery, software and knowledgeable helpers. Senior centers and medical offices may soon start offering similar services as well, helping people with arthritis help themselves every day.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108657/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Professor Joshua M. Pearce receives funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory (ARFL) through America Makes: The National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, which is managed and operated by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM). He also receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) for 3D printing related projects. In addition, his past and present research is supported by many non-profits and for-profit companies in the open source additive manufacturing industry including re:3D, 3D4Edu, Miller, Aleph Objects, CNC Router Parts, Virtual Foundry, Ultimaker and Youmagine, Cheap 3D Filaments, MyMiniFactory, Zeni Kinetic, Matter Hackers, and Ultimachine. He has no direct conflicts of interests.</span></em></p>Seniors and other people suffering from arthritis could do more daily tasks for themselves, and save money, by 3D printing their own small plastic aids, like key holders and pill-splitters.Joshua M. Pearce, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan Technological UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/913722018-02-20T11:40:25Z2018-02-20T11:40:25Z5 questions to ask your aging parents’ doctors<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206659/original/file-20180215-131000-xa73ch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Doctors' visits can be overwhelming for older people.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/medicine-age-health-care-cardiology-people-496099969?src=12bvbsCO_VUKplyyLmJreg-4-9">Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The population of seniors, or people age 65 or over, in the United States neared <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2017/cb17-ff08.html">48 million</a> last year and is steadily growing. Consequently, millions of adult children find themselves taking care of their parents’ medical needs. This can be a daunting task because many older individuals have complex health conditions. According to the National Council on Aging, almost 70 percent of seniors have <a href="https://www.ncoa.org/resources/fact-sheet-healthy-aging/">two or more chronic diseases</a>. As a result, they see an average of <a href="https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-primary-care-policy-center/Publications_PDFs/A241.pdf">four</a> different specialists a year.</p>
<p>Taking a lot of different drugs can lead to troublesome side effects or drug interactions. Having specialists who do not necessarily communicate with each other can lead to other complications. What can you do to try to avoid these problems? The answer is: Learn to ask questions and become your parents’ advocate.</p>
<p>I am a professor of law and bioethics and was involved in my own parents’ care at the end of their lives. As I wrote about in my book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Aging-Plan-Thought-Improve-Tomorrow/dp/1440838909">“Aging with a Plan: How A Little Thought Today Can Vastly Improve Your Tomorrow,”</a> I have learned that you can do a great deal to help oversee loved ones’ health care and to avoid some of its pitfalls.</p>
<p>Here are five key questions that you should not hesitate to ask.</p>
<h2>1. Does my parent really need this many drugs?</h2>
<p>Be familiar with your loved one’s full medication list, and keep track of any changes. If the list is long and a doctor wants to add another drug, ask if it is really necessary. You should also request that your parent’s geriatrician or primary care physician review the complete medication list periodically. Does it raise any concerns? </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206660/original/file-20180215-131016-11nov1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206660/original/file-20180215-131016-11nov1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206660/original/file-20180215-131016-11nov1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206660/original/file-20180215-131016-11nov1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206660/original/file-20180215-131016-11nov1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206660/original/file-20180215-131016-11nov1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206660/original/file-20180215-131016-11nov1i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Before getting a prescription for your older parent, ask the doctor whether the medication is essential.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/doctor-rx-prescription-drug-bottle-selective-62078386?src=XQMWrWaclXLiavBhv4sj4w-1-9">18percentgrey/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
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<p>In 2012, about a year before she died, my mother suddenly seemed to lose her mental capacities. In a matter of two days, she went from being a frail but clear-minded 83-year-old to acting as though she had advanced dementia. She stopped wanting to eat, stopped communicating and slept most of the day. </p>
<p>After an agonizing period of trying to figure out what was wrong, it turned out to be a drug-drug interaction. She was 83 and weighed only 104 pounds. Yet, she had been on 12 drugs, and a doctor added an unlucky 13th. We slowly eliminated most of the drugs and got her down to five essential medicines. She slowly regained her cognitive capacities, but there were two months during which she had no memory. My mother’s story is not unique – I have since read and heard others like it. It should be a cautionary tale for anyone with a very long medication list.</p>
<h2>2. What are the side effects of the drug you are recommending?</h2>
<p>Drug side effects can cause serious discomfort and mental deterioration. You need to know about side effects and think about them when considering new drugs for your loved one. </p>
<p>My husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 55. Early on, we consulted a physician who recommended that he try a particular medication. I noticed that the doctor did not mention side effects. I asked about the medication’s side effects, and the doctor responded that most patients tolerate it beautifully. Nevertheless, I asked, “What about those who don’t tolerate it well?” The doctor acknowledged that one in five patients find that it dulls their mind. That was an unacceptable side effect for us. Andy is a computer science professor and enjoys his career, so we could not take a 20 percent chance that his mind would be dulled. But we would not have known of that possibility if I had not asked the question.</p>
<h2>3. Are there other, less aggressive alternatives we should consider first?</h2>
<p>In some cases, there is no alternative to surgery, and it will be lifesaving. However, in other instances, there are a lot of options, such as physical therapy, acupuncture and other interventions. Some experts believe that surgery and anesthesia can cause <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-general-anesthesia-trigger-dementia/">cognitive decline</a> in elderly patients, especially if they already have dementia. If the doctor recommends surgery or another aggressive treatment in a nonemergency situation, it is worth asking about alternatives. </p>
<h2>4. How can we reduce her or his discomfort?</h2>
<p>While patients often get too much treatment, at times they do not have their painful symptoms treated adequately. Some people do not want to complain to their doctors and ask for relief even in the face of acute suffering. They are shy about asserting themselves or do not want physicians to think less of them for being unable to tolerate discomfort. In other cases, doctors hesitate to provide additional pain relief. They fear that patients will become addicted to powerful drugs. Yet pain can <a href="http://www.worldwidewounds.com/2001/march/Pediani/Pain-relief-surgical-wounds.html">slow healing</a> and cause significant mental stress for patients and their caregivers. If you know your loved one is suffering severe pain, nausea or other discomfort, press the doctors to provide more relief.</p>
<h2>5. What would you do if this were your parent?</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206661/original/file-20180215-131000-u2z19z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206661/original/file-20180215-131000-u2z19z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206661/original/file-20180215-131000-u2z19z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206661/original/file-20180215-131000-u2z19z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206661/original/file-20180215-131000-u2z19z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206661/original/file-20180215-131000-u2z19z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206661/original/file-20180215-131000-u2z19z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Sometimes, asking a doctor how she would treat her own parent can be a reminder of parental love.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-happy-asian-elderly-mother-her-613881722?src=Ofcaj13jUyu67QR67Qeqag-1-8">Szefei/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>At the same time, doctors might provide you with several options and little guidance as to the best course of action. They may say, “We can do tests to rule out various illnesses, or we can wait and see if symptoms improve. What do you want to do?” If you have no idea, consider asking, “What would you do if this were your mother?” You may be surprised by how helpful their answers are if you ask them to step into your shoes.</p>
<p>Our time with health care providers is precious and often scarce. When you see a doctor with your elderly parent, feel empowered to be an advocate, ask questions and express your needs.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91372/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sharona Hoffman received financial support from Case Western Reserve University for publication of her book "Aging with a Plan: How a Little Thought Today Can Vastly Improve Your Tomorrow" (Praeger 2015). </span></em></p>More than 47 million people age 65 and older live in the US, and many need help accessing health care. Here are some questions that grown children should ask their parents’ doctors.Sharona Hoffman, Professor of Health Law and Bioethics, Case Western Reserve UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/767502017-07-06T23:05:08Z2017-07-06T23:05:08ZHow being friends with someone who has dementia can be good for you both<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177207/original/file-20170706-18073-zy5no0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Friendship helps protect against loneliness even when oldsters do not have dementia. It can be especially beneficial for those who do. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/old-friends-arms-around-shoulders-123484174?src=uw8cX3r3zf59w1n0pkf9-A-1-8">sirtravelalot/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Each year, in the final few hours of the last day of December, many people all across North America gather with friends to raise a glass and sing Robert Burns’ famous ballad, “<a href="http://www.scotland.org/features/the-history-and-words-of-auld-lang-syne">Auld Lang Syne</a>.” Standing at the brink of a New Year, arms around each other, they ask: “Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?” </p>
<p>The question is meant to be rhetorical, of course – the answer is “No.” The years may pass, but we should hold on to our friends.</p>
<p>For many older adults, however, this question takes on a different meaning, as they confront the onset of dementia in a friend. Dementia, which <a href="http://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/109998">afflicts an estimated 3.8 million people</a> in the U.S. alone, affects cognitive abilities <a href="https://www.alz.org/documents_custom/2017-facts-and-figures.pdf">such as language and memory</a> that are often understood as the necessary foundation for individual identity and human personhood. </p>
<p>As such, dementia raises questions about what are the boundaries of the human, what is required to have meaningful social relationships and more generally what makes life worth living (or no longer worth living). </p>
<p>Research has long shown that <a href="http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/85/2/135.long">feelings of loneliness accompany the onset of dementia</a>. And research has suggested that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2424087/">social interaction is beneficial for the person with dementia</a>.</p>
<p>I recently conducted research that took these findings a step further. It appears that the opportunities for personal growth exist not only for the people with dementia but also for their friends. </p>
<h2>A dreaded illness, worsened by loneliness</h2>
<p>In the U.S., <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X10000693">people with dementia are often rhetorically and metaphorically likened to zombies</a>, and dementia is often described as a condition ambiguously positioned between life and death.</p>
<p>Such ideas contribute greatly to the stigma, fear and shame that commonly attend a diagnosis of dementia. </p>
<p>And if dementia is one of the most dreaded forms of decline associated with aging, it is also one of the most common. The condition affects about 14 percent of people over age 71. The <a href="http://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/109998">prevalence of dementia</a> increases with age, rising from about 5 percent among people in their 70s to 24 percent of those in their 80s – and of those who reach age 90, approximately 40 percent are affected.</p>
<p>What is it like for people to experience the onset of dementia in a friend, and how do they respond? Close family members are often expected to step up to meet the challenges of dementia, and many try to do so. It is less clear, however, what role friends can or should play. Little research has addressed the topic. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177208/original/file-20170706-16068-1dttsf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177208/original/file-20170706-16068-1dttsf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177208/original/file-20170706-16068-1dttsf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177208/original/file-20170706-16068-1dttsf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177208/original/file-20170706-16068-1dttsf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177208/original/file-20170706-16068-1dttsf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177208/original/file-20170706-16068-1dttsf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177208/original/file-20170706-16068-1dttsf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Friends sometimes take the place of family for older people, whose families may not live close by.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/smiling-old-woman-young-lady-336598166">Liza54500/Shuttterstock.com</a></span>
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<p>I recently published <a href="http://rdcu.be/tFtH">an article</a> and <a href="https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/successful-aging-as-a-contemporary-obsession/9780813585338">a book chapter</a> based on interviews with individuals who self-identify as friends of someone with dementia (as well as some health care providers and family members).</p>
<p>The basic idea behind this research is that there may be lessons to learn from those who have found both reasons and ways to maintain relations of friendship after the onset of dementia – lessons that could be shared with others who find themselves confronting similar situations. The friend who remains in a relationship with a friend who has dementia may gain knowledge about the illness and grow in unexpected ways. </p>
<p>The research documents how some people find value, interest, meaning and pleasure in friendships with people who are living with dementia. Among the findings, several stand out.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Through experience, people gain specific forms of knowledge about how to interact well with the person who has dementia. How the condition affects people can vary enormously, and there is no instruction manual for interacting well with people who have dementia. Still, some of the techniques and approaches that these friends have developed may be worth trying for others, as well.</p></li>
<li><p>Talking about dementia – in other words, making this sometimes difficult and uncomfortable topic “speakable” – can be a critical first step toward approaching it collectively, as something for a community to deal with instead of only as an individual problem. </p></li>
<li><p>People I interviewed describe friendship with the person who has dementia as a relationship that is capable of changing, rather than simply enduring. </p></li>
<li><p>People who have remained engaged as friends after the onset of symptoms describe dementia as an impetus for personal and interpersonal transformations that can involve learning, growth and unexpected gifts – as well as sadness and loss.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Friends play important role in wider support circle</h2>
<p>How friends respond to dementia is important for a number of reasons.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177209/original/file-20170706-25361-1czirht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177209/original/file-20170706-25361-1czirht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177209/original/file-20170706-25361-1czirht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177209/original/file-20170706-25361-1czirht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177209/original/file-20170706-25361-1czirht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177209/original/file-20170706-25361-1czirht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177209/original/file-20170706-25361-1czirht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Friendship matters to older people for many of the same reasons it matters to younger people.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/senior-women-cafe-table-two-ladies-566607394?src=Kk-lGbsmZYqTj8tCrJu2sQ-1-15">DenisFilm/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
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<p>First and foremost, friendships matter to older adults with dementia for all the same reasons that friendships matter to anyone: They are sources of pleasure, support and social identity. </p>
<p>Second, the difficulties and burdens faced by informal, unpaid caregivers of people with dementia (mostly female relatives) <a href="https://www.nap.edu/catalog/23606/families-caring-for-an-aging-america">might be less overwhelming</a> if friends and other social connections remained more present in the lives of people with dementia. </p>
<p>Third, there is a large and growing number of older adults with dementia who – due to changing patterns of marriage, childbirth, longevity, living arrangements and geographic mobility – simply <a href="https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/law_aging/2003_Unbefriended_Elderly_Health_Care_Descision-Making7-11-03.authcheckdam.pdf">do not have family members available and willing</a> to <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.14586/full">make medical decisions</a> or step into caregiver roles. For them, how friends, neighbors, co-workers and others respond can be <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/29/health/near-the-end-its-best-to-be-friended.html?_r=0">a matter of life-and-death</a>.</p>
<h2>Light in the darkness</h2>
<p>Dementia can seem like a frightening and depressing topic, but this research gives reasons to feel hopeful. While medicine has at present no cure and <a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Dementia-Information-Page">few effective treatments</a> to offer, that does not mean that there is nothing we can do.</p>
<p>There is a lot we can do to make life better for older adults with dementia. And we ought to do what we can – not only because people with dementia are fellow members of our human community, but also because any one of us might find ourselves affected in the future.</p>
<p>One of the verses of <a href="http://www.scotland.org/features/the-history-and-words-of-auld-lang-syne">“Auld Lang Syne”</a> that is less often sung by New Year’s revelers includes the line: “We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for Auld Lang Syne.” Helping people faced with the onset of dementia in a friend learn from others how to fill, share and take sustenance from that “cup of kindness” is one of the ways that anthropological research strives to make the world a bit better place.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/76750/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Janelle Taylor has received funding from the Fetzer Institute. </span></em></p>A recent study finds that friends ought not let friends with dementia be lonely. The surprising part? Why staying friends is good for the friend without dementia as well as for the one who has it.Janelle S. Taylor, Professor, Medical Anthropology, University of WashingtonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.