Tablets for Seniors: Introduction
Tablets for Seniors: Introduction
After Tech-enhanced Life tested a variety of “tablets for seniors”, lead reviewer Frank Engelman was interviewed by Richard Caro, co-founder of Tech-enhanced Life. Products include GrandPad, Claris Companion, and Oscar Family, with the iPad as a comparison.
This introduction is a starting point for a more detailed deep-dive into these products at “Best Senior Tablet: How to Choose” on Tech-enhanced Life (https://www.techenhancedlife.com/citizen-research/best-senior-tablet-how-choose).
We think this type of product is very appropriate for a specific demographic. However there are many individuals who think of themselves as older adults, or “seniors”, who might actually be better off with a more conventional consumer tablet — an iPad for example.
In the article mentioned above, we explain which type of person would benefit from a senior tablet (we prefer the term “senior-friendly tablet”), and which type of person would be better off with something like an iPad.
And for those individuals who need a senior-friendly tablet, we explain the tradeoffs made by the different products between ease-of-use and flexibility — and how to decide which is the best product for a specific life situation.
Learn more in our detailed comparative evaluations at the link below on Tech-enhanced Life.
https://www.techenhancedlife.com/citizen-research/best-senior-tablet-how-choose
A point you didn’t mention much is the often very limited dexterity issues that come with old age – fitting small plugs into small holes for charging can be an issue (especially if they are not reversible), as is ripping them out (tripping?) by forgetting they are plugged in. Similarly pressing small poorly labelled buttons for on/off & volume can be challenging. GrandPad has a wireless charging/use cradle, big onscreen controls for sound/zoom and turns on/off by just opening the cover. I think these are very important features for usage.
Where to order from
Only for seniors?
Nice overview. Read your article too. I will note – my mother of 91 has a GrandPad and in her age group it actually marks her out as extremely tech savvy – many peers (and care givers) have commented so. As she has always been a bit of a luddite (mainly through fear) it was uncertain if she’d really take to it. I can say for her the ‘killer apps’ are videoconferencing, including zoom, and photo sharing (with comments). She seems to get a unique pleasure at finally being recognized as the one with the cool gadget (it never really happened before). I grant you that at a decade or two younger the effect may be quite the opposite.
Ape 2021 – Hi can you review Consumer Cellular Connect Pad ? Ty
Hi! Great info- question on the Grand Pad, can the person who sets it up “hide” the settings app or the zoom call app, etc so person cannot get into those areas ?!
Thanks-
Thank you for your video. It’s a great overview. Where do I find your article with the detailed comparisons?
Gentlemen, Great job on this video! Have you thought about a follow-up video to show the family member/caregiver side of these tablets? I know some of these products have stronger more feature-rich family portals than others. TY