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The pandemic shows that technology leaves (some) seniors behind

In  these times,  there are constant updates to government announcements, support measures and regulations as to how we should be dealing with this pandemic.

As young people, we sometimes take for granted our grasp of technology. We get immediate notifications to the ongoing pandemic through WhatsApp and breaking news via social media platforms.

What we forget is that not everyone is technologically-savvy. Unfortunately, many seniors happen to fall into this category.

Applying for government support from my parents

Over the weekend, I was applying for the NTUC Self-Employed Person Income-Relief Scheme (SIRS) for my mum and dad, age 55 and 62 respectively.

Now, if you have gone through the application process, you will understand that to the internet-savvy, this is no problem at all.

It is simply filling in personal particulars online.

However, if you put yourself in the shoes of an older person who isn’t familiar with technology;  and those who do not have the luxury of the internet, this presents an issue.

The process becomes even more tedious as you are required to produce your paychecks, invoices and transactions in digital format — to be uploaded to the system during your application.

Over the past weeks, I frequented calls back and forth with my parents as I try to explain the situation to them and what information is required. It doesn’t help that they sometimes get unverified information from their friends.

As I was keying in my parents’ details and making sure that I’ve got all documentation ready, a sudden thought came across my mind — one that is pretty troubling.

What will happen to seniors who are self-employed but are either not tech-savvy and/or do not have internet access conveniently? Worse of all, what will happen to those who do not have children, relatives or friends who can help them file for these government support measures? Who do they go to?

The main question I had on my mind was if there is any other way to apply for the SIRS apart from the website itself. And so, I decided to reach out to talk to an NTUC SIRS staff through their live chat on the website. Here are screenshots of the conversation:

I am relieved to find out that there is a way to make an appointment to go down onsite, where there is staff to aid in applications. But there is still one issue — the appointment has to be made through this digital platform.

My parents have not had the privilege to finish school in their early days and because of the rapidly-evolving nature of technology, it is difficult for them to catch up.

True enough, after the announcement of the scheme, they had to approach me to help them file their applications; and rightly so.

To those who are living alone and are without internet access, how do they even start to take that first step to reach out to the relevant channels to make their appeals, should they not automatically qualify?

Bear in mind that this portal is through NTUC.org rather than NTUC Income and this may further pose another problem to seniors as some of them may associate NTUC with Fairprice.

More often than not, the complicated nature of this application portal may eventually cause some to just give up applying altogether — even though they may be truly in need of the money. In the quest to make our lives more convenient through the use of technology, there will be some who will inevitably fall through the cracks.

 

Online activities for seniors

A few months ago, when stricter safe distancing measures were announced,  many were concerned that seniors will face greater isolation as community activities cease.

To counter the problem of social isolation,  many online video series were introduced to keep seniors engaged with exercises, cooking demontstrations and many more.

We shared a complete guide for seniors during Covid-19.

The challenge with these initiatives is that they may not be able to reach seniors who live alone and have no access to technology.

Disclaimer: We are not trying to point fingers with this article. We understand that these are unforeseen circumstances and that the authorities and community groups are doing their best to support everyone. We are merely trying to raise awareness on certain issues and challenges that we come across.

Be more patient and understanding

What’s the point of this article? I think we are simply trying to say that its important to be more patient and understanding towards seniors or anyone who may not have access to technology. They may ask more questions or exhibit certain behaviour that does not seem right.

They may see the world a little differently.

The pandemic has revealed this problem and there may not be a solution to it. But, it would make the world alot better if we showed a little empathy.

We create localised games and activities for seniors. It’s time to engage them socially. Buy our games here.

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