If you think of apps on a smartphone as entertainment for a younger generation, you’re partially right. Apps can provide plenty of amusement. However, they can also be useful tools to help you do things like save money on prescriptions, order groceries for delivery, and keep in touch with loved ones.
Depending on your platform, you can find literally hundreds of useful apps for seniors. Fortunately, many of them are free or offer a free trial so you can try them out, and if they don’t offer the features you want, you can easily delete them and try again.
To get you started, we at The Moorings at Lewes have compiled some of the best mobile apps for seniors.
Health and Living
GoodRx: Medication is expensive, but you can quickly shop for the best prices using this comparison tool. Some pharmacies offer their best prices outright. Others require a coupon you can access through the app, but in many cases, pharmacies will match the competitor prices listed in GoodRx.
Instacart: You can save lots of time and hassle with a grocery app. Some local grocers have their own apps, or an option like Instacart lets you place your order with a participating grocery store in your area, and then a personal shopper will complete your shopping and deliver items to your door.
Out and About
Most smartphones come with handy built-in apps, like a flashlight that can help illuminate a menu in a dim restaurant. You can also rely on these top utility apps for seniors that make life a little easier when you’re taking care of your daily business.
Google Maps: While the primary function of this app is obvious, some of its benefits may not be as easily apparent. One is the parking feature, which lets you drop a pin on your parking space so you never have to worry about finding your car in a crowded parking lot. Another perk: You can set your home location and easily navigate a return trip no matter where you are.
Evernote: Keeping track of all your shopping lists and appointments is a big enough job, but this app also makes it easy to store pictures, recipes, memos and videos all in one place. It’s a helpful way to keep all of life’s little details organized while keeping your handbag free from clutter.
Staying Connected
When circumstances or mileage keep you apart, apps can help you maintain ties to your loved ones. Staying social in your later years is good for your mental health, so be sure to explore these ideas for the best mobile apps for social seniors.
Facebook: One of the largest social networking apps, Facebook lets you connect with your friends and family, as well as your favorite brands and businesses all in one place. Even if you don’t care to share personal information of your own, the app is a good way to see pictures and updates from your children and grandchildren. Many school groups also use Facebook, so you may find it useful for connecting with old classmates and planning reunions.
Skype: Voice calls and photos are good, but video is even better when it comes to keeping close to friends and family. Skype is a user-friendly app that lets you make video calls with other users from your smartphone. If you want to get the extended family together, you can have up to 50 people on a single call, and features like subtitles make it especially friendly for seniors who may have trouble hearing.
Brain Benders
Keeping your mind sharp requires flexing your brain muscle. Many memory apps for seniors combine critical thinking with games, so you can play your way to better brain power. In addition to word searches and puzzles, these are two useful apps for seniors who enjoy putting their minds to the test.
Luminosity: In addition to providing fun exercises for seniors to sharpen skills and hone memory, Luminosity’s features make it a good app for seniors with dementia. The app’s brain games are personalized to adapt to your own abilities, and you can track your daily progress.
Words With Friends 2: This wordplay game lets you compete against your phone or partner with friends and family members in friendly competition. Similar to Scrabble, each player takes turns creating words on a digital board. Not only does the game challenge your mind, but with a built-in messaging function, you can trade comments with loved ones, too, making it a great entertainment app for seniors.
Opportunities to Thrive
Like many of these popular apps for seniors, we create opportunities for our residents to thrive at The Moorings. One example is our LivWell program, which focuses on whole-person wellness, catering to residents’ physical, intellectual, emotional, social, environment, spiritual, and vocational needs. Contact us to schedule a tour and learn more about our comprehensive, award-winning senior wellness program.
