Seniors in Cyberspace

Janet Foster, Contributing Editor

Cyber seniors are the fastest growing segment of the population using the Internet. Take a look around the library and you’ll undoubtedly see the over-fifty age group sitting at computers, sending e-mail messages to their families, reading online newspapers and magazines, and checking stock quotes at Yahoo! It’s a fact that seniors have the time and inclination to become Web savvy. Bookmarking a few good Web sites for seniors will help them along the cyber journey in their quest for information about health, travel, Medicare, and just plain Internet fun.

Senior Net

Senior Net (www.seniornet.com) provides adults fifty-five and older with information and instruction about computer technologies. In addition to a wealth of Internet training tips, there are valuable links to sites like Dr. Koop’s Healthy Aging at drkoop.com. Seniors can check out a variety of round tables for discussions on hundreds of topics. During the post-2000 election period, seniors were able to exchange comments about hanging chads and absentee ballots. Senior Net also posts ideas about current and upcoming holidays for seniors to share with their extended families. Best of all is a free, self-paced tutorial that contains, in four lessons, information about the Web, explanations about how information is collected and organized, and tips on how to find things on the Internet. A glossary also is available, which makes this site an excellent choice for librarians who teach Web workshops.

Access America for Seniors

This site (www.seniors.gov) links to government information and other sites of interest to seniors. Topics covered include benefits, health and nutrition, consumer protection, employment and volunteer activities, taxes, travel and leisure, education and training, and more. Users can check on their Social Security benefits, compare nursing home and Medicare options, get travel tips, and peruse tax information. The searchable site also includes feature articles, such as “Laughter May be Good for Your Heart” from the American Heart Association at www.americanheart.org.

Elderhostel, Inc.

Elderhostel (www.elderhostel.org) is a not-for-profit organization with twenty-five years of experience providing high-quality, affordable, and educational adventures for adults fifty-five and older. The easily searchable site provides adventures in lifelong learning through domestic and global educational travel programs. It includes Adventures Afloat (global floating classrooms) as well as programs at institutes of higher learning, intergenerational programs with grandchildren, international programs, and more.

Elder hostel “first timers” are welcomed with descriptions of programs to excite the imagination and sharpen the intellect. Destinations include: panning for gold in the Yukon, visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, wandering the battlefields at Gettysburg, and taking control of a space shuttle simulator. There’s something for everyone. With links to maps, weather, and passport information, this is a wonderful Web site for seniors.

AARP

The American Association of Retired Persons (www.aarp.org) invites everyone who has reached the “big five-oh” to join and reap the benefits of this senior friendly organization. Sign up online and start receiving their monthly newsletter with lots of valuable information, including Web site descriptions. Another benefit of joining AARP is that you can surf to your favorite hotel or other travel and lodging sites and obtain instant discounts. Anyone fifty or older is invited to join AARP for only $10 a year. Members receive discounts on car rentals, lodging, cruises—even online services. Plus, it offers special programs and subscriptions to Modern Maturity and the AARP Bulletin. A computer-friendly section of the AARP site includes “How To” tip sheets, with articles such as “How to Buy a New Computer.” Even patrons who don’t fit the senior demographics group may want to check out this site.

Medicare

The Medicare site (www.medicare.gov), the official U.S. government site for Medicare information, includes two valuable databases. Medicare Compare allows people to comparison shop the plans and options of Medicare providers. You can compare the costs of premiums and types of benefits being offered along with the quality of the plan. Nursing Home Compare provides comparisons for every Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country, with details on any recent violation of Medicare and Medicaid regulations. Both databases are searchable by zip code, county, or state. There also are many useful informational publications available at this site.

Social Security Administration

This is an extensive site (www.ssa.gov) that includes disability information, employment support for people with disabilities, medicare information, benefit payments, forms, rules and regulations, laws and legislation, and a kids section. It also offers information in Spanish. A nicely formatted frequently asked questions (FAQs) page offers a handy drop-down menu with such specific subcategories as forms and publications and a retirement planner. Even for people who are not yet ready to retire, there is ample information about general social security benefits for all library patrons to use.

Blue Mountain

Seniors love to send e-mail. For a fun, animated, musical cyber greeting site try Blue Mountain (www.bluemountain.com). Free cards for all occasions (including some of the lesser-know holidays like World Hello Day and library-oriented greetings like Children’s Book Week) are available at this delightful, ever-changing site. For a general, all-purpose cyber adventure, Yahoo! at www.yahoo.com is a best bet for getting launched into cyberspace or obtaining free e-mail accounts.

In addition to bookmarking the above Web sites, libraries should look into adding Mr. Modem’s Internet Guide for Seniors by Richard A. Sherman to their print collections.¹ The book explains how to get a Windows-based home computer connected to the Internet and offers advice for selecting an Internet service provider (ISP). Details on how to send and receive electronic mail and search the Web for useful information as well as an extensive, annotated list of Web sites for every interest are included.

Reference

Richard A. Sherman, Mr. Modem’s Internet Guide for Seniors, 2d ed. (San Francisco: Sybex, 2000).

Resources Cited

Access America for Seniors: www.seniors.gov
American Association of Retired Persons: www.aarp.org
American Heart Association: www.americanheart.org
Blue Mountain: www.bluemountain.com
Elderhostel, Inc.: www.elderhostel.org
Medicare: www.medicare.gov
Senior Net: www.seniornet.com
Social Security Administration: www.ssa.gov