Getting to grips with technology

I read, with interest, the report entitled, ‘Council to help residents get online’ – in Wokingham Today, September 16.

This is an excellent venture – since the online revolution has left many elderly people stranded. Some, like me, don’t know our wi-fi from our WhatsApp.

Recently, one of our elderly members retired. Despite suffering from a mental illness, they had spent a lifetime of hard work on local dustcarts, and other, useful, services. On retirement, he wanted to take on just a little job – for a small amount of extra income – to supplement his pension. He thought that pushing supermarket trolleys might be suitable, but was told that he had to apply online.

He did not have personal internet access, but, fortunately, the Wokingham Crisis House has a library providing free internet access, and we always have a savvy volunteer available, who will get the person the information that they need.

I make no pretence of being in tune with the modern technological world, where people, now, wear such strange clothes.

Beautiful girls wear jeans full of holes and splits; Tramps, if offered them, would turn up their noses. Did they come out of the rag bag? No, they cost a lot of money, and, I am told, even more, if they are bought, ready torn. Such is the generation gap.

But I am relieved to read that the Berkshire West Commissioning Group has confirmed that face-to-face consultations are always on offer in appropriate cases, since I maintain that medicine cannot be practised over the phone, and that, even with chronic conditions, an actual examination, is often required, for the doctor to detect illness, properly.

Regarding online access, many elderly people, like me, have cataracts in their eyes – restricting the use of computer screens.

I have to do a certain amount of computer work for my charity, but not everyone is as fortunate as me, in having a husband who is an information scientist, who was working, online, when most people thought that that was where you hung the washing, and so can fix all the technology for me. Furthermore, for people with cataracts, the NHS Waiting List for treatment is years long, and people are even reluctant to seek private treatment, while the Covid risk persists.

However, I am cheered that I possess the odd bit of information that the young do not.

Recently, I said to some youngsters,

‘It looks a bit overcast; I must get out my mac’ and sou’wester’. Bewildered, they asked, ‘What is a sou’wester?’ Answer – ‘It’s a rain hat!’ Then, earlier this week, some of our lights failed. ‘Where was Paddy when the lights went out?’ I asked the youngsters. Bewildered, they replied, ‘We don’t know. Where was he?’ Answer – Where I am in the online revolution –

‘In the dark!’

Pam Jenkinson, The Wokingham

Crisis House