Senior Web Sites

Greater numbers of seniors are becoming more familiar and comfortable with computers, and are using the Internet more frequently as a quick and convenient way to research important issues. As a service to the users of our web site, this article provides brief summaries of and links to a number of Internet web sites that we think computer-savvy seniors will find helpful.

1. Save a Life . . . In a Story. Many of us have wanted to capture the life histories of our aging relatives, but have waited until it was too late to do so because the storyteller had died or was too sick to tell the stories. Now, you can hire a “personal historian” to record these family stories, and to publish them in a personalized book complete with photographs. Learn more at www.personalhistorians.org or www.NewEnglandLifeStories.org.

2. Living Aids for Seniors. Vision, hearing, and/or manual dexterity or mobility issues do not have to interfere with a senior individual’s activities of daily living. Visit www.ezlivingaids.com to shop for a wide array of products that are easy to use and that can make a big difference in the quality of the senior’s life.

3. Dangerous Prescription Drugs. For a web site with information on more than 500 prescription drugs, with warnings of those that are dangerous, and with safe alternatives, you can access www.WorstPills.org, which is sponsored by the consumer protection group known as Public Citizen.

4. Identify the Most Effective and Affordable Medicines. The company that publishes Consumer Reports magazine has launched a web site that enables seniors and their caregivers to compare a wide variety of prescription medicines on effectiveness, price, and safety. To find this information, simply go to www.CRBestBuyDrugs.org.

5. Products to Stimulate the Brains of Older Adults. Research has shown that dementia can be slowed or prevented through the use of regular activities that stimulate the brain. A company called Acuity Games has developed a number of mentally challenging and entertaining products designed to improve and maintain an individual’s brain function. These products can be found at www.AcuityGames.com.