Students Help Seniors Brush Up on Technology

A group of senior citizens won't have to sacrifice communication with family and friends via cell phone anymore thanks to some helpful volunteers.

facility in East Meadow hosted representatives from AT&T Wireless and students from the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County (HANC) of West Hempstead on Friday morning to educate the older generation on cellular phone usage and technology.

About 30 residents from the Bristal signed up to participate in 20 minute long individual sessions with the technology teachers. Seniors were able to review functions of their device with someone knowledgeable, whether the students or AT&T employees, and received written directions on how to use the cell phone. The program was co-sponsored by Senator Kemp Hannon, who was on hand to lend advice and see the progress of the residents’ technological skills.

“They thought they would just widen the horizons of the residents with the greater use of the cell phone, besides just calling their grandchildren,” said Hannon, “So they are taking pictures and being amazed.”

Nassau County Acting Commissioner of Senior Citizen Affairs Lisa A. Murphy explained how certain seniors think that cell phones are only for emergency situations and some don’t really know how to use them properly.

“They have this idea that they should really only be used for emergencies,” Murphy said. “Unfortunately, they would not even know how to use them if there were an emergency. They certainly would not know how to retrieve their voicemails or perhaps use other functions of the cell phone like cameras.”

The HANC middle school students, all of whom are extremely technologically savvy, took time to scroll through various models of phones with the Bristal residents during the program.

“I like helping others, it is our school motto,” said Rebecca Hagler, 14, of West Hempstead. She continued by saying that she was excited to show the seniors how to use their cell phones.

Student Zack Ehrenheus, 12, also of West Hempstead, said that he likes getting to use the cell phone and showing other people how to use it as well.

“The best part is HANC and the intergenerational part of it,” Hannon said. “We will continue to do this and I think it is a good precedent.”

Nassau County provides other opportunities for seniors to bond with local children, including picnics, dances, teaching them how to use iPods and tutoring, among other things. This helps both groups of participants because it shows children how to help out in the community and enables senior citizens to partake in some different social activities.

“It has been a wonderful program in that it also gives them the opportunity to learn from children,” Murphy said. “These intergenerational programs are beautiful because the seniors bond lovely with the children and the children get to give back to the older community, which is really so important."

Shirley Rothenberg, who has lived at the Bristal for five years, came to this program to learn how to take photographs on her camera phone.

“I needed to know how to take photos with this thing that I have had for years,” said Rothenberg, as AT&T employee Logan Johnson showed her the different functions of her device. “I never took a photo and now I know how. I expect it to continue to be helpful.”

“I think that senior citizens are some of our most valuable resources and we really have an obligation as a society to help them and celebrate their lives,” said Johnson, of Floral Park, who works at the AT&T store in Carle Place. "This is just part of showing them the latest technology."

AT&T representatives came from various stores throughout Long Island to show the seniors the basics on any carrier's device, Johnson continued.

“The cell phones can really come in handy, like if a senior ever falls,  it is something that will be on them and they can call for help,” Murphy said. “It is really a critical thing that they know how to use their cell phones.”