Crestwood, IL-The Pointe at Kilpatrick hosted a seminar on March 16th on the benefits of social media.  Presented by Marty Hitzman, CEO of Get Talked About, the informational program covered the basics of social media and the relevance it has for older adults as well as the younger generations.  "We find that many older adults aren't involved, or show no interest in such things as Facebook.", said Corporate Director of The Pointe, Nancy McCaffrey.  "They often assume they would have no use or that it's too complicated for them.  Our goal today was to show them that they can benefit from these social media outlets as much as their grandchildren."  

    Once some general misconceptions were cleared up, such as that all of these sites would cost money to use or that you actually had to own a computer to utilize the sites, those in attendance wanted to learn more.  Realizing they could stay in touch with family members who lived far away or even locate long lost friends, many became interested in learning more.  The Pointe at Kilpatrick has remained in the forefront by providing their residents with the latest in updated technology.  The Wii system is one of the most popular activities and the Dakim, brain-health based computer system has been helping residents stimulate their cognitive thinking.  Next month, The Pointe will be experimenting with IPads for the residents use.  With special apps geared toward education, brain fitness and special interests, residents may sign it out for a block of time and play games, contact their grandchildren and any number of other things.
   "We really strive to not only improve and maintain the memories of the residents, but to also be moving forward and making new ones.” Nancy added.