If you have called Senior Village to have your Alexa set up or needed the smart lights programmed, chances are Janet is the volunteer who helped you.
Janet Daily is the co-leader of the Home Technology Team. She began her volunteer service two years ago and within her first year accepted her current position. She is an engineer by trade who learned how to simplify processes using technology. Janet left the corporate world four years ago to care for her parents who built here in 1999 and enjoys helping people with technology needs in the neighborhood.
Janet is a solution-orientated person who strives to help members understand how things “shake hands” technologically speaking. She accepts a variety of requests ranging from simply re-setting routers to linking Alexa with doorbells, cameras and thermostats. Her goal is to have members, “learn and feel confident in their own abilities and believe, ‘I can do this.’”
Children are giving their parents technology, and the recipients are not quite sure how it all works. Janet likes getting to know the members and understanding their needs to then show them exactly how to use the devices. Passwords can be quite challenging for some. If you are unable to save passwords to your devices, Janet suggests “hiding” them on index cards in a recipe box or an address book to physically record the passwords. As for the router, taping the password directly on it helps when it needs a reset.
Janet describes herself as a “caretaker through and through.” Her positive attitude and fun personality shines through when she teaches a member a new skill and cheers, “Look at what you learned today, and you can show off to your friends!” She encourages members to pass the knowledge along at their next bridge game or mahjongg gathering. Her connection to the members is inspiring. “The stories I hear are fascinating.” She enjoys meeting new people in the community.
When asked, “What would you say to a person considering volunteering?” she boasts, “You’re going to love meeting these people!” “Go with what you know or learn something new. Take a job you know nothing about. Research it. Then teach someone. It helps the member and you’ve expanded your knowledge.”
We are not all in the same technology sphere. Many of us joke and say, “our grandchildren/children help us with the computer.” However, there are many ways to make our lives easier using technology. It just takes someone to show us how. The home technology team can do just that. And who knows, maybe Janet will come and show you! Call Senior Village at (520) 314-1042 to request a service from any of our teams.
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