The Tech Support focus is to help Heritage on the Marina residents (ages 80–100+) maintain independence and connection, and empowering their caregivers to support them with technology.
Many of our residents are struggling to use their technology effectively, which can lead to frustration, isolation, and missed opportunities for connection and engagement. This is a significant issue that affects the quality of life for our residents and their ability to stay connected with loved ones and the world around them.
At the same time, the maintenance team, Tess, myself, and others Are enlisted to help residents repeatedly try to fix the same errors, which can be time-consuming and inefficient. We need to find a better way to provide tech support that is consistent, accessible, and effective for our residents.
And perhaps the most complex challenge: There appear to be nearly unlimited resources for this effort. Thousands of organizations, websites, catalogs, and more. How do we find the most useful resources and make them accessible to our residents and caregivers?
This folder contains blog posts about our Tech Support initiative, including updates on our progress, reflections on our experiences, and insights into the challenges and opportunities we encounter along the way.
This folder contains the Charter and Mission Statement for our Tech Support initiative, as well as any related documents that help clarify our goals, strategies and values.
The Phones section covers iPhones and Android phones from various manufacturers, with a focus on accessibility features, common issues, and solutions residents may encounter. Each brand has its own deep-dive page:
This folder contains a list of Tech Support priorities for our residents, based on feedback and observations from our support sessions. This is meant to be a living document that can be updated and refined as we learn more about the needs and interests of our residents.
Practical, print-ready materials for supporting residents one-on-one. Each tip comes as a resident guide to hand out and a staff poster for the helper:
- How to Help — the basics of helping well
- Helping iPhone Users — Magnifier, Siri, steadier taps, getting unstuck, and more
- Helping Android Phone Users — starting with Samsung Easy Mode
A growing library of accessibility devices, services, and reading to spur ideas for supporting our residents' independence and connection: