Karen Stabiner, in her article “Elder Tech: What’s Important” argues that it doesn’t have to be this way.  Stabiner states that the key to getting elderly relatives involved in high-tech  communication is to get out of our own heads and look at it from their point of view. “For technology to become ‘sticky’ with the older generation, we have to get into their heads and understand what would make them think this is fun… The bells and whistles that might attract us are too often counterintuitive [for them.]”

The younger, tech-savvy generations tend to look for high-tech devices that do everything, but that’s not necessarily what’s going to be appealing to grandma or grandpa.  This article in GrayTimes.com suggests that single-purpose gadgets—devices designed only for e-mail or only for sharing photos—are more intuitive for elderly users.

New high-tech devices may be harder for parents or grandparents to use, but being able to connect with their loved ones can be a huge motivating factor.  Being able to communicate with family makes our elderly parents and grandparents happy, but it also helps keep them safe.  Adult children who communicate with their parents on a regular basis are better able to recognize and respond when mom or dad suddenly have trouble caring for themselves.

Retirement planning is one of the leading areas in which spouses have a failure to communicate, according to the research. After the recent market turmoil, people have new and greater concerns about their ability to retire comfortably, but they aren’t talking about it.  And lack of communication means a lack of planning: “Although couples agree about their top financial concerns in retirement, they have not developed better planning habits. In fact, nearly 10 percent fewer couples report they had completed critical plans – be that a retirement plan, an estate plan, or a will — as compared to 2007.”

Although the temptation to bury your head in the sand may be strong, talking with your spouse—and then with a trusted professional—to create quality retirement and estate plans is essential, and will bring incredible comfort and security to you and the rest of your family.  If talking about finances is not something that comes naturally to you and your spouse, a good way to get started is to make an appointment with a professional who can lead you through the process together.

Talking about money doesn’t have to be scary. Learning together and making plans for the future will not only strengthen your financial situation, it can also strengthen your relationship.