| reply to IowaCowboy
Re: Just like the analog shutdown I mostly agree with you, except for the reasons many elderly people don't do upgrades. It isn't so much an issue of dementia as it is an issue of what they have fitting their needs. For instance, my parents didn't own an answering machine, and, even after I got them one, they never used it. When I asked them why, they said that, if someone really needed to reach them, they could call back if they (my parents) didn't answer the first time. Granted, this way of doing things seems terribly inefficient to me, but they'd managed just fine like this all their lives, and they saw no reason to change. It was a slower pace of life, but, if you think about it, it was less stressful to them, since they didn't have to worry about remembering to check their messages.
The same goes for cell phones. If you view them as simply a tool, like a shovel or rake, then it makes sense that some people don't want to upgrade them unless the one they have breaks. They know how the one they have works, and, as long as it does what they need it to do, they're happy. Plus, remember that folks who lived through the Great Depression and World War II were very conscious of being frugal. If they didn't absolutely need to buy something, they didn't, and that behavior stuck with many of them. |
mike656
join:2002-04-21
Frederick, MD | Reminds me of my Great Aunt (born in 1906) who was taken to the hospital due to heat stroke in the 90's, since she had no A/C. My Grandfather flew half way across the country to put in a window unit for her, which she never used because it was too costly to run. Used to get $2 for my birthday from her, which was like $2000 from anyone else. |
