Senior Techies Enjoy Fun, Games, Virtual Connectivity and Real Community

By: Lee Rickwood

January 31, 2025

Empowered by new technologies and connected in both real and virtual communities, older adults and senior techies are enjoying fun and games with friends, as well as gaining from support and assistance offered by trained professionals, volunteer contributors, or simply shared with each other.

That’s whether they’re at home, in a retirement community, or in a long-term care facility.

And it doesn’t really matter if they are in Collingwood, Ontario or not!

Coincidentally, two Canadian companies offering new products and services to older adults are based in this small Ontario town: perhaps best known as a recreational gateway to the popular Blue Mountain ski resort area, Collingwood also has a long history as a significant shipbuilding centre.

And now, it is home to growing tech product and service companies looking at the ever-expanding seniors’ market.

two women, seated, look at and point to computer touch screen on stand

Touch2Play Seniors devices are used in care facilities and retirement homes.

One, called Touch2Play, provides interactive gaming and touch screen devices used for fun, recreation, and information display purposes. But they’re not only used in seniors’ settings, like retirement homes, hospices or other such facilities. The same devices can be used in education, by school-age kids, for example.

Meanwhile, another firm, Techie Nesters, provides a range of services for older adults, including but not limited to tech advice and equipment operation, online privacy and security, fraud protection, and social media savvy.

Techie Nesters is a virtual community of older adults, members, volunteers, and other contributors. Using in-person meetings, online connections and various digital devices to stay connected, the group builds up a network of supportive members that helps each other live independently – or interdependently. Members assist each other with household tasks or errands, transportation needs, technical assistance and equipment maintenance, financial advice and fraud awareness, all while seeking a sense of shared community. When needed or appropriate, Techie Nesters bring in outside experts in finance or technology, for example.

Online fraud and scams targeting older adults are reaching alarming levels, Techie Nesters says, and the organization works with banks and financial institutions to fight against fraud, engaging with bank managers, reviewing existing fraud prevention warnings, and advocating for policies that could prevent further harm when fraud occurs, such as specialized teams to assist older adults in recovering financially after theft.

a table filled with gift bags stands outside a group meeting space

New Techie Nesters groups provide older adults with support, technical advice and community spirit – online and in-person.

Jenn Gerynowicz is the founder and Chief Compassion Officer at Techie Nesters; she mentioned how new member groups – called Nests – are being established as the concept spreads (Oakville and Kitchener were mentioned and inquiries from central or downtown Toronto are coming in). Some services are free of charge for seniors, especially regarding online fraud or financial scams. Other services, such as the Compassion Concierge with its online member support and regular tech advice sessions, come with a fee (and there’s a minimum number of members required to make a Nest).

Interestingly, those wishing to be members of a Nest are vetted through one-on-one conversations with the community and background checks by police to ensure the members remain safe, trusting, and productive. Accepted applicants (they could be seniors, or members of a senior’s family) are given membership cards and photo IDs; they also sign an agreement and pledge to contribute and collaborate to their Nest and the overall community.

Touch2Play, also in Collingwood but not connected to Techie Nesters, cites its 30-year track record of delivering interactive gaming and engagement systems to diverse client sectors such as hospitals, dental offices, libraries, even quick-serve food outlets as a solid foundation for its expansion into the U.S. to meet the unique needs of senior care facilities (having done so in Canada already).

Used for fun and fostering social interaction, as well as serving up therapeutic programming aimed at improving seniors’ well-being, these interactive systems come in a variety of shapes and sizes and with a wide range of apps for all users. The touch-based systems with user-friendly programs on-board (no Internet service is required) encourage social engagement, cognitive stimulation, social and therapeutic activities.

An accessible Touch2Play Seniors Interactive Table

There are stand-alone 17” and 21” screen Pro models, a giant 50” Interactive Wall model, and a mobile FlexCart model mobile cart which can be wheeled into position for seated, standing or in-bed users. An adjustable arm is used to raise, lower, tilt and swivel the 21” Max screen into position.

There’s also a 43” multi-touch screen model, designed as a fixed or movable interactive table. Wheelchair accessible and compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design, up to four people can play the sports, cards, board and creative games included with this unit.

Touch2Play Chief Operating Officer Jamie Butler is enthusiastic about the company’s expansion into the U.S. (announced prior to talk of possible tariffs on Canadian imports), citing its decades of experience and strong foundation in Canada: “[W]e are ready to help American senior care facilities create environments that inspire connection, comfort, and fun,” he said.

With its expanding focus on seniors, Touch2Play is linked as a family business with another local tech firm, Kidzpace Interactive, with a younger target audience, run by Rob Butler.

So there’s even more Collingwood connectivity.

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