Seniors at The Stayton at Museum Way Are Discovering "There's An App for That!"

Feb. 1, 2013 - PRLog -- For years, American seniors have rejected the idea of “getting old” and replaced it with a healthy obsession for “successful aging”—a quest made far more enjoyable with the advent of the Internet and portable computers. First, they mastered surfing the Web and later, socializing with family and friends via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. So what else is new?  It turns out that a whole new layer of digital engagement is arriving at retirement communities across the country: apps.  And residents at The Stayton at Museum Way, a community sponsored by Senior Quality Lifestyles Corporation (SQLC), are jumping on board.

An “app” is a shorthand term for a specialized computer application that delivers very focused content via the Web, on demand by the user.  Apps can usually be personalized to individual tastes and provide content updates automatically. Today, apps offer seniors countless new ways to experience successful aging, such as enjoying their favorite music, learning new things, staying connected with family, building brain fitness, trying new recipes, playing collaborative games, creating fun reminders and more.  The list of possibilities is as broad as the Internet itself.

All that seniors need to enjoy their favorite apps are a computer—whether a desktop, laptop, tablet or smart phone—and access to the Internet. At The Stayton, senior residents with their own devices can use the complementary community wifi “hotspot” to get on board with the world of apps. For those who need some help getting started, there’s some technology coaching.  And sometimes, it’s the seniors doing the coaching.

“Our residents just love to learn and grow more every day,” said Amy Pearce, Lifestyles Director at The Stayton senior living community in Fort Worth. “They have the time to really learn and use apps as a way to access personalized content and stay in touch with family and friends. They really like to live on the leading edge of digital technology.”

Here is a preview of some of the apps seniors find most appealing:

·          Lumosity Brain Trainer – Keep your brain sharp with a series of games, puzzles and quizzes, measuring your success along the way.

·          Postcards – This app allows you to view videos and photos on a simple interface. It features clearly labeled buttons so that even the biggest technophobe should have no problem learning their way around this app.

·          Words with Friends – This app is a replica of the popular board game “Scrabble.” You can play your friends or family members at your leisure (games don’t have to be completed in one sitting), or be assigned a random opponent.

·          BugMe! Stickies – These handy virtual sticky notes allow you to either write with your finger, or via the keyboard, and place sticky notes on a corkboard. From there, you can set alarms and reminders, categorize them as urgent, or even stick them to your phone’s home page for an extra visual reminder.

·          Pandora – With this app, you can create your own music playlists for any occasion. This allows you to customize music to your tastes, rather than having to listen to what’s on the radio at the time.

·          Skype – This app allows you to keep in touch with loved ones around the world via video chat.

·          iCookbook – This app includes more than 2,000 easy-to-view recipes, and a voice feature to help navigate around and find recipes.

Many seniors like the fact that apps allow them to customize their content downloads and avoid being inundated with the near-infinite amount of unstructured information on the Internet today. Many of these seniors can remember a time even before television—let alone computers—but are now becoming some of the most eager adopters of apps in American society today.  The biggest challenge for them may be simply keeping track of all the new available apps coming out.  

Hmmm. There must be an app for that, too.

ABOUT THE STAYTON AT MUSEUM WAY

Located in Fort Worth’s Cultural District, The Stayton at Museum Way is an 11-story, three building community featuring 188 independent living residences with a variety of spacious one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. In addition to resort-style independent living, The Stayton provides onsite assisted living, memory support, and private skilled nursing for life care residents and others in the community.

The Stayton at Museum Way, a Masterpiece Living® community, is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit senior living community sponsored by Senior Quality Lifestyles Corporation (SQLC), a Texas-based nonprofit organization that sponsors sister communities The Buckingham in Houston, Edgemere in Dallas, Querencia at Barton Creek in Austin, Mirador in Corpus Christi and The Barrington of Carmel in Indianapolis. For information call (817) 439-6936 or visit www.thestayton.com.