(gentle music) (phones chiming) - [Rochelle] Technology is a part of our everyday lives with smart devices and virtual assistants taking center stage.

- And it's just almost mind-boggling what can be done with technology.

- [Rochelle] Absent gadgets aren't just tools for the younger generations, they're enhancing the journey of active aging.

- On our refrigerator we can communicate with Alexa when we're at the store to see we needed some more milk or eggs.

- [Rochelle] For seniors, like 85-year-old Bill Fox, technology keeps him informed and connected to family.

- There you are.

Hello, Gwen, how things at the beach?

- Fox and wife Gwen live at The Sharon at SouthPark, a senior living community in Charlotte.

While most of the residents know how to use a computer and email, the Sharon offers classes to keep residents current on the latest technologies.

- So you can continue to go to the website or you can download the app.

- [Rochelle] According to a new AARP report on 2024 tech trends, 61% of adults, 70 plus say they have the digital skills necessary to fully take advantage of being online.

In addition to an overall rise in tech usage, older adults confidence in the industry to meet their needs improved slightly in the past year.

- I think it's just like breaking down that stigma where we think older adults can't do it, they can do it.

Anybody here who's not using Cubigo?

- [Rochelle] Jessica Bourque is Director of Vitality and Wellbeing at the Sharon.

She leads monthly tech support classes.

- I think the pandemic really helped with that.

We had the time and the need to learn new things.

Typically, we weren't sort of thought as as early adopters to any technology, but now it's really changed for the people who live here.

They're excited to learn new things.

I think the hardest part is just sort of keeping up with the pace of the changes.

- I feel like I've come a long way and yet in comparison to what my grandchildren and children can do, I feel like I'm still a novice.

- I get a lot of suggestions about- - [Rochelle] In this class, residents including 79-year-old Mary Hammond are reviewing how to navigate Cubigo, a digital platform that acts as an all-in-one community hub for the Sharon.

- You can do maintenance request, which I've done.

You can do housekeeping requests, you can look up your balance of your food bill.

- We get a lot of the same questions.

How do I get into Cubigo?

What if I lose my password?

- Younger Americans don't have a corner on the tech market.

Check this out.

According to a new AARP study, older Americans, 50 plus like Mary, are about as likely as younger adults, 18 to 35 to own smart devices like an iPad, smartphone, or laptop.

Residents at the Sharon range in age from 65 to 100, and their technological prowess runs the gamut.

- I just learned today how to screenshot an email.

Here's this new system.

- [Rochelle] Lynda Opdyke is a member of the Sharon's Library committee, which is in the middle of moving from a handwritten to a digitized library system.

- Learning this new system and how to set it up has caused me to stretch my skills a little bit.

- [Rochelle] According to the 2024 AARP survey, 85% of Americans 50 plus have heard of generative AI, yet 60% of respondents say they're undecided about its impact.

Jody Eason-Williams is the Sharon's IT Director.

He says, advancements in artificial intelligence will redefine the aging experience.

- With the technology in the future.

We are looking towards more AI capabilities and bringing that into the facility and hopefully that will help the independent residents, you know, even gain more independence as time goes on.

- [Rochelle] Technology keeps 89-year-old Freda Nicholson connected to her six children, 14 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

- We do Zoom family meetings and that of course is really fun with the big family.

- [Rochelle] Age-related impairments like vision or hearing loss can make using technology difficult.

Nicholson began losing her sight to macular degeneration eight years ago.

She knew that keeping her independence meant learning how to use assistive tools.

- I had to use computers and things like that with my work, but now I'm totally dependent on my technology.

- [Rochelle] Now, legally blind, Nicholson relies on an electric magnifier, voice-to-text and screen reader apps.

- [Freda] To read my emails, I just go- - [Automated Voice] Your amazon.com order has shipped.

- [Rochelle] Nicholson has even become a resource for other seniors.

- I've done two seminars for residents here.

And then I one-on-one, if somebody calls me and said, "Can you show me how to have my phone read to me," and they'll come to my cottage and I'll do that.

- [Rochelle] She even taught me a thing or two.

- You just take two fingers.

- [Automated Voice] From amazon.com, address.

- It takes a little practice sometimes.

- [Rochelle] Technology will continue to enhance the aging experience for those willing to embrace change.

Nicholson proves that with a little practice, it's never too late to learn something new.

For "Carolina Impact," I'm Rochelle Metzger.