If you are an older adult who is living far away from your family, it can be difficult to stay connected with them. The good news is we now have the internet. We didn't have the internet many decades ago and you had to rely on airplanes and long car rides to see your loved ones. These days, the internet provides an abundance of opportunities to stay connected and in close contact with your family when they live at a distance.

Benefits of the Internet for Keeping Connected with Family

There are various benefits of having the ability to use the internet to stay connected. Some benefits include:

• Staying more engaged and active with friends, family members, and the world.
• Having an ongoing sense of purpose and value.
• Being able to learn more about subjects you’re interested in.

You also have the added benefit of being able to stay in contact with your grandchildren and maintaining that bond. You’ll be able to view pictures and videos and watch them grow and explore. In fact, going online is a very helpful form of communication when you are geographically restricted. You can have more comfortable and frequent conversations (or chats) with your loved ones.

In today's modern times, the majority of pictures and photos are digital. Therefore, you can use the internet to share memories too. Each day, more and more photographs are shared on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr. You can easily log on to the internet to see pictures of your grandchildren — sometimes just moments after they were taken, which helps to create a feeling of closeness that you simply didn't get with mailed photos.

Back in the day, it used to be that home movies brought family memories to life. Today, you have video sharing and with the increase in smartphones, webcams, and video cameras, more and more videos are being taken by your family and being posted online for you to see.

With Eskaton, you have access to our ‘Keep Connected’ program where you get complimentary tech support and equipment. Eskaton works with family and residents to get you connected to online video and we will provide you with a tablet, PC or web camera if you need one. You also get free Wi-Fi in our community so all that’s needed is a broadband connection for your participating family members to start connecting with those who are miles away.