Key Takeaways
- Everyday technology can become confusing and frustrating for aging adults and people experiencing memory changes.
- Research shows that general technology use helps protect against cognitive decline, but rapid software changes create self‑doubt.
- Three core struggles for neuro‑cognitively challenged users are: locating information (“where’s my stuff?”), loss of confidence due to interface changes, and shame when asking for help.
- Practical solutions include turning off non‑essential notifications, streamlining contact lists, and focusing on a few core apps that maintain social connection.
- Design choices that prioritize customization over stability hinder older users; consistency and simplicity are more valuable.
- Facial recognition works better than fingerprint sensors for aging skin; touchscreens can still pose challenges.
- Helper‑focused strategies—such as managing a loved one’s calendar and curating apps—reduce the cognitive load on the user.
- Multistep scams rely on building trust over time; developing a gut feeling that something feels “off” is a key defense.
- Limiting unknown callers while preserving the ability to reach family members balances safety with social engagement.
- For Parkinson’s patients, early voice‑command training builds muscle memory that supports later cognitive decline.
- Ultimately, technology is a lifeline when used deliberately to keep people connected to loved ones, health care, and the wider world.
Background and Motivation
Angela Cearns, founder and CEO of AsKevin, noticed a surge in requests for tech help during the pandemic. Friends, family, and strangers alike asked how to join Zoom calls, contact doctors, or simply stay in touch. With a career spanning product management at Amazon Prime and e‑commerce leadership at Pizza Hut International, Cearns realized that while seniors had access to working devices, those devices were not working for them. Traditional support options—Geek Squad for hardware fixes or the Apple Genius Bar for platform‑specific aid—did not address the holistic, everyday usability challenges faced by older adults and people experiencing cognitive changes. This gap inspired AsKevin, which offers workshops and digital coaching to simplify technology for seniors, individuals with Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, and other neurocognitive conditions.
Research on Technology Use and Cognitive Decline
Cearns cites scientific evidence indicating that regular technology engagement actually lowers the risk of cognitive decline. Studies by Dr. Jared Benge and Dr. Michael Scullin, published last year, conclude that general tech use helps protect brain function. The protective effect stems from mental stimulation, problem‑solving, and the social interaction that digital tools facilitate. However, the benefits are contingent on how technology is used; overwhelming notifications, frequent redesigns, and complex security steps can erode confidence and increase anxiety, negating the potential advantages if not managed thoughtfully.
Understanding Memory and Building Reserves
Memory decline with age is driven primarily by aging itself and genetics—factors beyond personal control. The third, modifiable factor is the development of cognitive reserves through lifelong activities such as physical exercise, learning, health maintenance, and accumulated knowledge. Cearns emphasizes that while medicine often discusses physical, experiential, and knowledge‑based reserves, it overlooks a digital or technological reserve. Building proficiency with devices, apps, and online services creates a buffer that can compensate when natural memory wanes, much like muscle strength protects against physical frailty.
Core Struggles for Neuro‑cognitively Challenged Users
Through one‑on‑one work, Cearns identifies three predominant issues. First, the “where is my stuff?” problem: users lose track of where information resides—email, text, health‑portal notifications—because constant pop‑ups and alerts fragment attention. Second, the “am I losing it?” problem: frequent interface changes (e.g., a search bar moving from top to bottom) trigger self‑doubt, especially when users cannot recall where a feature used to be. Third, the “My dad is driving me crazy” problem: asking family for help induces shame and conflict, as loved ones may feel frustrated while the user feels inadequate about needing assistance. These emotional barriers are as significant as the technical ones.
Practical Strategies for Simplifying Devices
To mitigate distraction, Cearns advises turning off non‑essential notifications, retaining only alerts from close family or critical health apps. Cleaning up contact lists to include only doctors, immediate family, and trusted friends reduces the cognitive load of deciding whom to answer. She recommends limiting the number of apps to those that directly support connection—primarily voice calls, texting, and photo sharing—while relegating banking, shopping, or entertainment apps to secondary status or removing them entirely. This streamlined approach preserves short‑term memory for essential tasks and lowers anxiety caused by information overload.
iPhone‑Specific Challenges and Design Considerations
Although iPhones pack powerful computing capabilities, their highly customizable, ever‑changing interface conflicts with the need for stability among older adults. Users often unintentionally trigger “jiggle mode” by holding an icon too long, causing apps to rearrange and creating confusion. Cearns notes that while concepts like widgets and app libraries are innovative, they add layers of complexity that many seniors find unnecessary. A design philosophy that favors consistent layouts, minimal pre‑installed apps, and predictable navigation would better serve this demographic, allowing users to rely on muscle memory rather than continual relearning.
Authentication Methods: Face vs. Fingerprint
Facial recognition generally works well for older users because it relies on relatively stable facial features. Fingerprint sensors, however, often fail as skin conductivity changes, ridges flatten, and folds increase with age, leading to frequent false rejections. Touchscreen responsiveness can also diminish due to dryness or tremors, making precise taps difficult. Cearns suggests pairing Face ID with simple passcodes as a backup, and when fingerprint reliance is unavoidable, supplementing it with voice‑activated commands or assistive touch features to reduce dependence on unreliable biometrics.
Recommended Apps and the Helper’s Role
The priority should be apps that sustain social bonds: phone, messaging (iMessage, WhatsApp), and photo sharing. Calendar apps are valuable, but the older adult’s role is limited to viewing events; family members act as executive assistants, entering appointments, reminders, and visit schedules. By managing the calendar themselves, caregivers relieve the user of the burden of recalling details while still keeping the individual informed. Cearns also advocates for a “gray mode” or muted interface for financial apps, wherein passwords remain known but visual cues are minimized, reducing temptation to engage with potentially risky screens.
Scamming Threats and Developing a Gut Feeling
Scammers employ elaborate, multistep schemes that begin with a seemingly innocuous text or email prompting a click or call. Over days or weeks, they build trust, eventually guiding the victim to disclose banking credentials or transfer funds. Because memory impairment makes recalling specific safety rules unreliable, Cearns stresses cultivating an intuitive sense that something feels “off.” Users should be taught to disengage—hang up, ignore messages, and consult a trusted family member—without needing to recall why they felt uneasy. This gut‑feeling approach acts as a flexible defense against evolving tactics.
Preventive Measures for Unwanted Calls
Cearns recommends answering only calls from recognized contacts. For individuals who struggle to identify callers, she advises curating the contact list to include only essential numbers and reinforcing the rule: if a name does not appear, do not pick up. While whitelisting all unknown numbers could block legitimate outreach, blacklisting all calls isolates the user from vital social interaction—a key component of cognitive reserve. Instead, a balanced approach—allowing known callers, silencing unknown numbers, and encouraging text‑based communication—preserves safety without sacrificing connection.
Technology Considerations for Parkinson’s Patients
Parkinson’s is often viewed solely as a motor disorder, yet cognitive decline can emerge in later stages. Early intervention is critical: voice‑command training (“Hey Siri,” “OK Google”) builds muscle memory that persists even as motor skills deteriorate and cognition shifts. By establishing habits of issuing simple verbal commands—making calls, sending texts, setting reminders—patients retain a pathway to interact with devices when tremors or rigidity impede touchscreen use. Cearns underscores the importance of integrating voice tools before cognitive challenges become pronounced, thereby extending functional independence.
Final Thoughts: Technology as a Lifeline
Despite the risks—distraction, insecurity, and scams—technology remains a vital lifeline for older adults and neuro‑cognitively challenged individuals. It enables contact with loved ones, access to telehealth, participation in news and entertainment, and engagement with hobbies that sustain mental vitality. The key is purposeful use: selecting the fewest tools necessary to maintain connection, customizing devices for stability and simplicity, and enlisting family members as supportive collaborators rather than merely troubleshooters. When technology is harnessed with empathy, foresight, and a focus on human relationships, it enhances quality of life rather than detracts from it.