Forging Web Links - nursing homes get in the web - Brief Article

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, April, 2001

If there's a generational divide when it comes to online access, Andrew Leatherman is determined to close it. Leatherman, 14, of Niagara, Wis., helps residents of Mary Hill Manor, a local nursing home, send e-mail and surf the Web. Now they're clamoring for instant messaging, and he may offer a class in keyboarding.

At nursing homes around the country, senior citizens are eagerly embracing Internet access, especially e-mail. At Brooking Park, in Chesterfield, Mo., 14 residents signed up for an e-mail training session. "One stroke victim who is self-conscious when she speaks has blossomed using the computer," says Debbie Summers, director of activities at the facility.

Not only does the Net help seniors feel more connected to friends and family, says Summers, it also improves self-esteem.