Keeping in Touch with Far-Away Family

While Sherwood Oaks Retirement Community is conveniently located to the best that Pittsburgh has to offer, it’s not always located as closely to friends and family. While their lives may take them to the next city or the next state, technology has made it easier than ever to keep in touch with family online.

While nothing can replace the feeling of a hug from a loved one, here are some ways to keep in touch until that next hug comes around:

Facebook: According to Forbes, 11% of Facebook users are senior citizens. So it makes sense to contact your friends and family on a platform that they use often! On Facebook it is easy to share posts, messages, photos, video, and more! You can even put people onto lists so that you can check what specific groups are up to, like “My Bowling League” or “Close Friends.”

Pinterest: Disappointed that you won’t be able to help your daughter plan a dinner party? Wish you could help design your grandson’s nursery? Collaborative Pinterest boards are a wonderful way to share images and links with others. Pinterest is a social network that allows you to save or “Pin” images and links from websites and save them onto boards. So, you can create a collaborative “Recipes” board and add your best friend so you can share with one another and never feel more than a kitchen’s length away.

Flickr: If you’re not so sure about sharing your photos on social media, you can use a photo-sharing site like Flickr. Send links to friends and family and easily update your images so they always know what you’re doing here at Sherwood Oaks!

Email: Email is the closest you can come to sending a letter online. While social networks often keep us up to date with friends and family in short and quick messages, it’s nice to sit down and write lengthy letters to those we care about. Plus, it’s wonderful to skim through all of those bills and spam and stumble upon an email from an old friend.

Video chat: There are a lot of options out there when it comes to video chat, the most popular being Skype. With Skype, you can make a video call to another user so you can see and hear them in just minutes. It’s great for checking in to see your grandchild’s latest art project or have your friend show you the face she made at her surprise birthday party. You can even show someone your screen or chat during your call. Other video chat options are Oovoo and Google Hangouts, both giving you the option to video chat with multiple people.

Online gaming: Whether you play through Facebook or a website like Pogo, you can have a blast with friends and family by playing games online. There are also plenty of games that you can download for free if you have a smartphone or tablet – like Words With Friends or Ruzzle. Don’t stop family game night because of distance.

At Sherwood Oaks, we love to help keep our residents connected with the important people in their lives. If your friends and family can’t stop by for a visit, be sure to use these tips to keep in touch!