Monday is your Chance to Ask Questions and Sign Up!

 

More info about Essential Digital Skills

What you have been waiting to hear!

 

About the Essential Digital Skills Program

The Midway Social Centre Society has secured grant funding to develop and deliver a Digital Literacy program for seniors, with a focus on the West Boundary area. This initiative is designed to empower older adults with the skills and confidence needed to navigate the digital world effectively.
Research shows that adults aged 65 and older face significant challenges in accessing and using digital technologies, creating a gap between them and younger generations who navigate the digital landscape with ease. To address this, the program will accommodate a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 8 participants.
Today, the technological divide impacts seniors in critical ways:

• Limited access to online services – including healthcare portals, banking, and shopping
• Reduced social connections – especially with family members who rely on digital communication
• Missed opportunities for learning and entertainment
• Decreased independence in managing daily tasks

Digital training helps seniors engage with the online world safely and confidently. A structured learning approach supports the development of essential technology skills while addressing the specific needs and concerns of older adults. To ensure success for participants, we are incorporating several key components:

• Basic digital skills, including email usage, internet browsing, and video calling fundamentals 
• Hands-on practice sessions in small group settings (6–8 participants), allowing seniors to learn at their own pace
• A safety-first curriculum, covering password management, scam awareness, and personal information protection
• Customized learning materials, such as large-print handouts and step-by-step visual guides

In recent years, tablets have emerged as powerful tools to bridge the digital gap. These devices offer intuitive touchscreen interfaces, customizable displays, and simplified navigation systems tailored to older users. Their portability and user-friendly features make them an ideal starting point for seniors entering the digital world. The impact of tablets extends beyond basic connectivity. They serve as gateways to:

• Virtual healthcare appointments
• Video calls with loved ones
• Digital entertainment options
• Medication management systems

Over the course of six weeks, participants will use tablets purchased through a grant from the Phoenix Foundation. Training is most effective when everyone uses the same equipment, operating systems, and applications—this consistency fosters shared learning and peer support.
The program will be facilitated by a volunteer. Our Society’s Secretary and resident tech expert, Barb Kowalik, will serve as the initial facilitator and support person. Barb is a certified GLUU facilitator (gluusociety.org) and brings over 40 years of experience as a computer instructor and training developer. She currently offers one-on-one tech support at the Midway Social Centre every Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Digital Skills Training Is Coming

This is our first post on the blog. The Midway Social Centre will soon be opening the new Digital Skills for Older Persons program in our centre in Midway! This Blog will be where we share extra information about our Centre and the new programming that we create and it is not just for the people in Midway! Here you will find the links that can help you!

Digital Skills for Older Persons

Today’s technology driven world (further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic) has highlighted the importance of digital inclusion. Many services are now exclusively online to maintain accessibility while reducing physical contact. Digital skills are becoming increasingly important in our technology-driven world, and this is especially true for older persons. As the older population continues to grow and rely more on technology for various daily tasks, there is a need to empower them with digital skills. The ability to access and use digital resources not only helps older persons stay connected to friends and family but also allows them to access vital health services, manage their finances, and engage with their communities.

One of the key concerns is the barriers that older persons face in acquiring digital skills. Additional factors such as physical disabilities, cognitive decline, and lack of access to resources or educational opportunities can hinder their ability to learn and adapt to the digital world.

Highlights

Digital Skills are essential for older persons to access health services, maintain social connections, and engage in daily activities.

Barriers such as disabilities, cognitive decline, and lack of access to resources hinder older persons’ digital skills acquisition.

Collaborative efforts from service providers, governments, and communities are necessary to promote digital skills among older persons.

Digital skills are essential for people to successfully use technology (phones, watches, tablets and laptops to navigate the internet, and use crucial apps such as banking and health). As the world becomes more reliant on technology, it is crucial for older persons to develop these digital skills to maintain connections, access information, and enhance their overall quality of life and understand the digital scams so they don’t adversely affect them. For older persons, gaining proficiency in the basics of technology—such as turning on a device, adjusting settings, and understanding software—lays a strong foundation for developing further digital skills.

Navigating the internet is another essential aspect of digital skills. Older persons should have the confidence and knowledge to browse the web, conduct searches efficiently, identify credible sources, and protect their personal information online. With the rapid growth of digital platforms, understanding how to communicate using email, social media, and other collaborative tools is crucial in staying connected and updated in today’s world.

Additionally, older persons living in rural areas face additional blocks. The absence of reliable internet and limited opportunities to engage with digital tools is common. Centres, such as the Midway Social Centre’s resource room and their teaching digital skills, have proven effective in helping older persons in rural areas develop their digital skills.

Another large hurdle older persons have in the process of improving their digital skills is the lack of age-appropriate and user-friendly instructional materials and instructors that understand their difficulties. Even the language is different! The majority of current resources are designed for younger individuals and may not address the specific needs, motivations, and learning styles of older adults. This identifies the importance of tailoring digital skills programs to older persons’ unique requirements and perspectives.

To summarize, addressing the barriers for older persons in improving their digital skills, such as the digital divide, isolation, misinformation, and anxiety, is vital for digital engagement. We feel that inclusive, accessible, and targeted digital skills programs, we can help bridge the gap and empower older persons to thrive in today’s digital age.

Strategies such as personalized coaching, accessible tutorials, and the integration of social components can help older persons become more comfortable and proficient in using digital tools. It is essential to involve older persons in the development of policies and programs to enhance their digital skills. The principle strategy we will employ is Digital Inclusion workshops and one on one training targeting specific concerns – such as online (and on phone) banking.

Addressing these topics can help older persons use and access online resources and services that can lead to further digital tools and platforms. By tailoring these approaches for older persons, we allow the course content to remain manageable and navigable, reducing feelings of information overload.

We, in Midway, would like to put together a program that teaches our local older persons to use online banking. Banking is a keystone digital gateway to encourage older persons in moving into the digital world, and learning how to be more aware their vulnerability to various scams and fraudulent activities. Phishing attacks often target them via email or phone calls, attempting to deceive them into revealing personal information or making payments. Learning how to NOT fall victim to these scams, older adults will learn to use caution when opening emails from unknown senders, avoid clicking on suspicious links, and never share sensitive details like passwords or financial information.

Developing digital skills empowers older adults to independently navigate the internet while staying safe from online threats. Educating this demographic about online safety and good online practices can reduce the generational gap in technology usage and enhance their quality of life.

Why are we doing this now?

You search the internet for information on how to apply for a program or government service that you need. It leads you to an official website with numerous paragraphs about eligibility. Reading it you are still unsure if you meet some of the criteria, but decide to apply anyway. The apply button leads to a prompt to download a PDF document. When you to open it, it says that you need to download PDF editing software, which you don’t have and don’t want to pay for. You print it off and fill it out by hand. The form is four pages, and 37 questions long. Yikes, this is going to take a while. This is left until you have time. When you finally do it, you find out only half the fields apply, you need to scan and include other information and you are not sure exactly what information you’ve being asked to provide. Finally, you scan and email the completed form, cross your fingers and wait. (This is a personal story of my attempts to fill in forms to access a current government and utilities rebate program). I know others are having the same issues. Another friend asked me how they can email their grandchild birthday money (using online banking). Another person asked me how they can make a Facetime or zoom call to their children and grandchildren using their cell phone, the list goes one.

Despite increasing numbers of older adults accessing the Internet, and many recent retirees having used computers during their careers, the digital divide between older adults and younger people still exists. Older adults use significantly fewer digital applications and spend less time online than younger adults.

Some older people are put off using online tools because they see them as being arduous and time consuming. They feel that the trend toward online services such as comparison websites places a greater burden on themselves to become experts in all manner of things, whereas previously one could seek out trained professionals to assist with decision making.

The current desirability of technology and other wider concerns regarding its impact on society, and fears of getting things wrong when using software are also significant factors holding back technology use among older adults. Security concerns are omnipresent among older adults as they read the news about data breeches and scams. Many lack the confidence in their own knowledge of how to use the tools, particularly online banking. 

Banking Websites Training for users:

BMO has some excellent online demos

https://bmodemos.com/en/course/start/public-send-an-interac-etransfer-mobile/emulator-send-an-interac-etransfer-mobile/emulator

CIBC

https://www.cibc.com/en/personal-banking/ways-to-bank/how-to.html