My late wife Melinda passed away a year ago after a three-year battle with breast cancer. She was 72. When she became terminal I kept her at home and was her only caregiver until a hospice came in for her last two months.

Throughout her illness, Melinda enjoyed using our computer for e-mail correspondence, for her own writing, and for entertainment. Prior to her illness, she hadn’t been that enthusiastic about acquiring computer skills, but the empowerment that the computer offers became a major consideration when she became housebound and later, bedridden.

I’m sure there must be other examples of how even “computer illiterate” older people could benefit from computers and new-age entertainment devices such as digital cameras, digital music players, and the like. In an institutional setting, using headphones, these devices could ensure that other people weren’t disturbed.

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