Experience of Seniors with Modern Home and Personal Technical Devices

For my bachelor thesis I have chosen the topic Experience of Seniors with a Modern Home and Personal Technology. In the 21st century is for most of us common everyday use of modern technology, such as mobile phones, credit cards, digital cameras and other technical devices. However, there is an amount of population who do not use these devices as much as the others. They are the seniors. In the theoretical part I drew from the listed sources and focused on explanations of particular terms which are related to the theme of the work. This part is divided into four sections. In the first section I focused on the explanation of the terms old age and ageing, in the second section I looked on the ageing in the 21st century, the third section deals with the communication with seniors and the last section is focused on the modern home and personal technology. In the research section I focused on achieving of the aim and answering the research questions. The aim of the bachelor thesis was to find out what experience seniors have with the use of modern home and personal technology. As a research question I have chosen: What problems do seniors have when using modern home and personal technology? According to the topic, a qualitative research and the method of semi guided interview were chosen. The research group consisted of eight seniors from České Budějovice, who have been living in the Rest home U Hvízdala, the Nursing home CSS Staroměstská and in the Rest home Máj. I had prepared the basic questions and if appropriate I asked supplemental questions. The interviews were carried out in a pleasant background after the consultation with the social worker. Respondents agreed with the research and they also agreed with recording of the interview on a dictaphone. I recorded the interviews carefully and then evaluated them. The research was carried out in March. The results summarize the information which I took during the interviews. Despite their age seniors use modern technology. The most used devices are mobile phones, televisions and radios. Credit cards, digital cameras and sCards are among the less used or unused devices. Most respondents have experience with a radio, owned by everyone interviewed, then with a television, owned by seven out of eight respondents, and a mobile phone, owned by five respondents but others formerly also owned a mobile phone. The main research question should find out what is the biggest problem when using modern home and personal technology. Speaking about a mobile phone, seniors have the biggest problem when operating, caused by bad eyesight, small letters, small buttons or complicacy of a mobile phone. The biggest problem with credit cards is, according to respondents, a necessity of attendance at cashpoints. They also stated the fear of assault, misuse or loss of credit card and money. The main problems with sCards are similar to those with credit cards; attendance at cashpoints, misuse or assault. Another problem which I encountered is a lack of information for seniors. Some of the seniors have no idea what is the purpose of sCards. Television is for some a leisure time activity. The main problem here is a tune of channels. Addressed seniors stated that they would have to ask someone else for help. Another problem, as they states, occurs when setting of a television. Respondents have the least problems with a radio. The majority has no problems, others mention that the biggest problem occurs when operating a radio, for instance they have no sense for spinning wheel when tuning radio stations. Others do not have problems and the use of a radio sees rather positively. In conclusion, I think that it would be appropriate to introduce courses which would deal with a specific issue. It would be probably helpful to inform seniors more and to provide more articles, advertisements and lectures. The bachelor thesis could serve for others as information about the given topi