One of the missions that technological advances have set for themselves recently has been to adapt to the needs of all their users. From there, electronic devices and appliances have been created that favour not only entertainment but also communication and interpersonal relations .

Next, we will take a tour of the main characteristics of mobile phones for the elderly , electronic devices specially adapted to the experiences of this age group.

Technology and generational distance: mobiles for the elderly

Among other things, people living in Western societies are characterized by a need to move around constantly. In view of this, one more need is generated: to keep in touch and communicate with our peers and family members .

Fortunately, these needs have been largely offset by the development of technology. However, this same development often occurs at a speed to which we have not all been able to adapt under the same conditions. The latter is particularly noticeable when it comes to people who are in some situation of disability, or who do not have access to technology because of the socio-economic conditions in which they live, or because of generational differences.

For example, there are older adults who have managed to adapt very easily to new technologies and who can control mobile phones or tablets; but there are also those who have the interest or need to communicate through such devices, although they do not find them so easy to use. Again, technological development has responded to this need, creating devices that can be adapted to those who have greater difficulty in understanding or manipulating them.

Thanks to this, technology has positioned itself as a fundamental element to avoid generational distance , as well as to favour the approach and the connection between people and the themes that arise and are modified at great speed and across great distances.

In other words, although technology often seems to enslave us, it has also been fundamental in strengthening social inclusion for some contexts. There are even those who have begun to develop the concept of technological literacy as one of the key challenges for the 21st century.

5 characteristics of useful mobiles for older people

There are many mobile phones that have proved to be quite efficient for people who have already entered old age to communicate easily and that have grown up in generations where the technology was not as developed as it is now.

Beyond being mobiles specifically designed for the elderly, the aim is to recover the first designs of mobiles that came onto the market, which are also the simplest, and whose functions are the most basic.

The general characteristics of these devices include the following:

1. Designs very similar to the landline phone

This is useful because it can compensate for much of the confusion and lack of interest shown by some older adults in the face of generational changes marked by technology.

There are people who, as soon as they see a touch screen, feel an immediate rejection, take it for granted, or simply have no interest in knowing how it works.

Thus, finding a phone whose design is very similar to the one you are used to , is undoubtedly one of the issues that favours its manipulation. Of course, it is not a design that has a rotating disk with numbers, but it is enough that it is a telephone with large and illuminated buttons or keys that are easy to press, and whose numbers are also large and easy to recognize.

A screen that does not necessarily have to be coloured is sufficient , as it would include the most basic functions such as the list of numbers and the most important names, or for example the date and time.

2. Direct connectivity buttons

Another feature of mobiles that are useful for older people is that the keys can be programmed to make direct calls to emergency contacts . These contacts can be family members themselves or a doctor or nurse.

This makes it very easy and quick for the person to call their important contacts.

3. Higher volume and ringtone

It is also helpful to look for phones that may have a high ring tone and sufficient volume to enable the person to hear as well as possible, especially if they are someone with reduced hearing.

This is also useful for people who are not necessarily older people but who have some hearing condition that makes it difficult for them to use ordinary mobiles.

4. Durable batteries

Many of these phones have an advantage that several new phones do not: the batteries last for a long time, even for several days.

This is very important when it comes to an older adult who has a great need for external support ; as it can ensure that he or she is constantly communicated with or does not have to remember to charge his or her mobile phone every day.

5. Extra advantages

These devices usually also have a lamp option, or there are even some that have a camera, which can be attractive.

On the other hand, the interface of these mobile phones adapted to elderly people is usually quite intuitive , so they will not need very extensive explanations to understand their use. Even if it is a phone that has a touch screen instead of buttons, but its interface is equally intuitive, it can be very useful because it can be configured, for example, with large icons with the pictures of the most important contacts, which makes it easier to make or receive calls.