Mom needs Zoom for sorority meetings but she’s nervous around technology

Dear Live Grand:

My mother is 85 and mentally good but severe arthritis challenges her physically. Other than the family, her most cherished connections are her sorority sisters. She’s enjoyed their meetings for years, but like many organizations, they’ve switched to gathering via Zoom. Last year, we made the virtual meetings work because I brought my laptop over to her apartment. Unfortunately, later this year I won’t be able to do that due to my work schedule, and I hate the thought of her missing out. I think Mom would love attending those meetings independently but she’s so nervous around technology she won’t even try it. Do you think she could learn to use a GrandPad for her meetings? – DL

Dear DL:

We’re delighted to hear that your mom is still active in her sorority. Such connections are important as we age. It seems that the only thing holding her back from completely enjoying the meetings – and a whole lot more – is self-confidence with technology. Can a GrandPad help? That’s part of our reason for existence.

We think that the ability to independently attend her sorority meetings may be just the incentive that your mom would need to try this unique tablet. GrandPads are specifically designed to bring the advantages of technology to older adults without the usual frustration, so she’ll gain confidence from her very first experience.

Your mom would find the tablet comfortable to use since it’s got substance but isn’t too heavy, and the screen and apps are all sized for relaxed viewing. To charge it, she’d just lay it against the included charger.

The family admin would set up her contacts, so she’d instinctively respond when someone’s picture appears on the screen. All that’s required of her is to tap Answer and she’d connect. That one triumph would show her how a GrandPad could open up her world.

The full Zoom experience is customized on GrandPad to make it simple. To join, your mom would simply tap the email with the Zoom meeting invitation and then tap Read Message. From there, she’d tap Join Meeting, then confirm entry, and that’s it. Once she’s in, she can tap the right arrow to see more participants in the grid view or tap the left arrow to return to the active speaker in full screen. You could take her through the process a few times until she’s comfortable.

She’d soon discover that she could view favorite photos, do crosswords, play memory games using the games app, and enjoy the music of different eras and genres including big band, show tunes, and classical. With each easy-to-use app, she’d gain even more confidence making her eager to try another.

Your mom will quickly realize that she can’t do anything wrong when using a GrandPad. This will relax her enough so that she can truly enjoy attending her virtual sorority meetings without assistance. What might be even more exciting is how quickly she’ll discover a whole range of activities that will enrich her life.

Live Grand is a weekly column brought to you by GrandPad — the simplest, safest tablet-based solution that helps reconnect families.