Denver Retirement Community Teaches Residents To Use Tablets

DENVER (CBS4) – A Denver retirement community has become the first self-proclaimed home in the nation to give each resident tablets.

At Clermont Park Retirement Community resident Mary Johnson is a tech savvy senior.

"Email, I can Google, I got the weather app," said Johnson.

She is one of about 300 residents who now use the new Clermont Park app for the mandatory daily check in.

They also use it to find out when the next community card game or happy hour is.

"I am not a technical person and so for me to be able to do this is really cool," said Johnson.

Kayleen Shippy with the retirement community said that they held routine classes over the last year to learn the program.

She said the process hasn't been easy.

"The average age of these residents is 85," said Shippy.

It was an idea that residents first resisted but now embrace.

"It's bigger than I ever thought it would be," said Shippy.

Once residents got comfortable with the program, they started to use things like email, Skype and Facebook.

"They're like 'that's really cool I want to be friends with my granddaughter on Facebook'" said Shippy.

The community documented the experience in a self-made documentary called "Lifelong Learning" to help other retirement communities do the same.

The retirement home is premiering its documentary in a red carpet gala at the center on Monday.

"I'm a by the numbers kind of person," said Johnson.

Johnson now teaches the tablet class to other member and said that embracing technology has brought the community and their families closer together.

"I think this is really cool thing," said Johnson.

LINK: Clermont Park Website