Do you think you’re too old for Facebook? Think again!
The number of senior citizens using Facebook is growing daily. Facebook has allowed seniors to be active in social media just like their children or grandchildren are, and they can share pictures, videos or news articles that are important to them.
But for some seniors, Facebook is more than just a tool for sharing funny videos; it can help them connect with family members who don’t live in the area anymore so they can stay in touch on a more frequent basis. Chestnut Knoll Personal Care is helping their seniors do just that: connect with family and friends through a new program at the community, using Facebook.
Leo Adams has been living at Chestnut Knoll since 2010 and has been enjoying his days, participating in activities and socializing with friends and family. But when his son suddenly passed away last year, he was left without a family nearby; now all he has is a grandson who lives in Japan. Staff members and residents at Chestnut Knoll were able to provide him support, as his “extended family,” but no one can truly replace family. Communication between Leo and his grandson was difficult, since they were so far away from each other. That’s when Facebook was suggested, and has provided Leo with much-needed, quality family time.
Leo has been using Facebook to talk to his grandson. They send messages back and forth to keep in touch and share what has been going on in their lives, including photos and videos of his experiences overseas, as well as what Leo has been keeping busy with at the community.
“Communicating using Facebook is a great way to stay in touch with my grandfather,” said David S. Adams, Leo’s grandson. “It enables him to see photos and videos of our family whenever he wants – especially the latest news about his great-grandsons. It’s also convenient because we can send each other messages at any time of day, regardless of where I am. One of the things I treasure the most is that I have a record of our exchanges, which has helped to recall special (and sometimes forgotten) moments of the past, and keep a family legacy for future generations.”
The Facebook program at Chestnut Knoll started when Shawn Barndt, executive director, thought it would be a great idea to teach residents how to use the social media site so that residents, like Leo, could connect with family members that live far away. Many volunteers at Chestnut Knoll are high school students that are savvy with social media and they’ve been able to help residents set up e-mail accounts to sign up and make friend requests to people they know.
Currently there are about five residents using Facebook at the community. Leo and other seniors at Chestnut Knoll can use the computers a few times a week to log into their personal accounts and reach out to their friends and family members and share pictures and experiences.
“Some of the residents were really amazed at how quickly something placed on social media is viewed by others,” said Barndt. “Many of our residents’ families are following us on our Chestnut Knoll Facebook page, to keep up with events at the community, and when an exercise video was put on our page, resident Olive Davies was shocked at how quickly her daughter knew what she was up to! Olive rushed to my office to say ‘let me see how she knew what was going on here!'”
Chestnut Knoll hopes that more seniors will see how much joy Facebook brings to those currently using it and they will also want to connect with old friends or family members that they may not get to see very often. Facebook can allow seniors to find their college roommates, best friends or even old high school crushes. They can view videos, read blog posts, share pictures and have conversations with people they thought they’d never see again.
“Facebook makes it easy for our residents to keep up with what’s going on in the lives of their loved ones,” said Barndt. “Families can also have peace of mind, by checking in on their senior loved ones through their personal accounts, or even by viewing our Chestnut Knoll page for any updates on what’s happening in the community. We love being able to connect our seniors with their loved ones and provide them with the love and comfort they need from their family.”
For more information about how Chestnut Knoll can help you or a loved one live life to the fullest, please call 610-473-8066.
