Phone calls. Zoom. Google. Facebook. Whatsapp. Skype.

These are all ways your elder can talk with or see their loved ones, even if they are halfway around the world. Grab a smartphone, tablet, or computer and download the appropriate apps onto it. Add your elder’s loved ones and explain to them the process of making and receiving calls. It is that easy.

You can set up a time that works best every week, or just download a game or two that the family can play online. With the uptick and emergence of economically-friendly internet pricing plans and free-to-sign-up social media sites, even if your senior doesn’t have online accounts, it’s relatively easy to get them all set up.

Maybe as their caregiver, you can even make an excellent profile photo for them. Unfortunately, thousands of lives are cut short every year because of quality of life concerns. Social isolation, boredom, and depression are leading causes.

By talking with, seeing, and continuing the process of communication with loved ones, elders can feel like a central part of the family, wherever they are. It’s also great for other family members, so they can keep track of what is going on in their seniors’ lives. It’s a win-win. Seniors would spend all of their time with family members in a perfect world, but we don’t live in a perfect world. A phone, tablet, or computer allows the next best thing.