ABSTRACT
Ms. W. is an 87-year-old woman who lives in an assisted living community in Alabama. She has never been married, has no children, and only has one friend who lives several states away who she gets to see with any regularity. Other residents report that she rarely participates in group activities. She uses a wheelchair to transport herself. When we met Ms. W., she seemed lonely and somewhat depressed. She enrolled in our computer training program at the encouragement of the activities director. Over the course of training, Ms. W. became more outgoing and began to interact in other activities throughout the community. She also had a lot of fun-at one point, she mentioned that she had “gotten her hair done” twice a week for all her life, never missing an appointment, but during the training program she had forgotten about a hair appointment because she was so excited for “computer class!” At the end of the training program, Ms. W. said, “I’m a hot 87-year-old computer expert. I know how to Google!” She had even reconnected with a high school friend via email. Although not all older adults who learn to use computers and the Internet will respond like Ms. W., our research shows that older adults in continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) can overcome the digital divide, reconnect with family and friends, and gain skills to enhance their quality of life.
