CEO and Co-Founder Scott Lien '87 talks with Ellen Modersohn about his formative years at Luther College and GrandPad's origin story.

This user-friendly device offers video calls, games, music and more for technology-challenged seniors.

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Take advantage of the latest deals available for Valentine's Day, where you will find smartwatches, headphones, tablets, and more on sale.

Don’t try to make today’s grandparent fit into any kind of box: Many of them are active, some are the classic pie-baking, cheek pinching granny and others don’t fit into any kind of archetype at all. But in here, you’ll find something for every kind of grandma or grandpa you may find.

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Crimes against older Americans have increased dramatically since the start of the pandemic, and organizations all over metro Atlanta are helping potential victims fight back.

Every summer, the editors of TCB sit down and make a list. A list of the people in and around Minnesota business likely to make news and drive change in the year ahead.

We talk with GrandPad's CTO and Chief Data Officer Earl Chen about GrandPad's solutions to protect seniors from scammers this holiday season and beyond.

It can be challenging to find that perfect gift, especially when our loved ones have different interests! From the newest tech to the freshest fashion, Lifestyle Expert Carmen Ordonez has some great recommendations for this holiday season.

BROOKFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- As the world marks 81 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor Tajma Hall meets the last remaining Pearl Harbor survivor from the Milwaukee area, Ed Miklavcic. Even at 102 years old, Ed is adept at using technology to remain connected to family and continue to share the story of the monumental event he witnessed all those years ago.

Have you made a dent in your holiday shopping yet? If you're still looking for some ideas, lifestyle and beauty expert Carmen Ordonez has some great suggestions.

Looking for a tablet? We are still seeing great Cyber Monday deals for the best tablets from brands like Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and GrandPad. Here are the best ones that we could find...

With this simple, safe tablet, 102-year-old Ed regularly video chats and shares photos with his loved ones. In fact, his son is able to join him at breakfast every single day via video chat — his family loves that Ed doesn’t have to eat alone!

This simple yet savvy gadget was designed with seniors in mind and is one of my grandma’s very favorite connectivity tools. With easy-to-use apps, a private family network and built-in 4G, the GrandPad makes it simple for seniors to scroll, shop, search and just say hello.

If regular tablets, like iPads, are too complex for grandparents or older adults you want to video call, the GrandPad is the solution. It's an ultra-simplified tablet designed to make it easier to stay in touch with the technologically-challenged, and the company even thought of homes that don't have Wi-Fi — it can connect to US Cellular's mobile network.

GrandPad founder Scott Lien is talking with us about GrandPad’s best features and how it keeps older adults connected. Older adults often feel isolated, and the pandemic separated them even more from family and friends. The GrandPad device is simple for seniors to set up. Customers can access white glove customer support with questions 24/7/365.  Offering things like games, video chats, simplified Zoom capability, email, and mood-enhancing apps, the GrandPad has something for every senior.

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – GrandPad is a tablet designed specifically for seniors older than 75 who are unfamiliar with or who have difficulty using current technology.

The goal of GrandPad is to keep elderly seniors connected to family, friends and caregivers while also helping with security and social isolation.

We are genuinely obsessed with the GrandPad. It’s a tablet designed for senior citizens to make it that much easier to use technology (we should have invented it, TBH). With easy to use icons to call someone, check emails and view photos, life has never been easier.

Scott is the co-founder and CEO of GrandPad, the purpose-built tablet for people over the age of 75. Scott has served in executive-level technology leadership positions for Fortune 100 companies. He started GrandPad just eight years ago with his son Isaac, and the device is now being used to connect more than 1.4 million people — including seniors and their families, friends, and caregivers — in 120 countries.

Even though most boomers and seniors are more tech-friendly than ever, for those older than 80, hard of hearing, or sight-impaired, all the features on today’s smartphones are built by 30-year-olds for 30-year-olds. The founder Scott Lien created the GrandPad for older people after his mother-in-law struggled with smartphones and computers.

Technology has made a huge leap forward in the intervening 20 years, and now people have significantly more options for keeping in touch with elderly relatives. GrandPad thinks they have developed a smooth and easy way to keep grandparents and families connected. Does it work? Read on to find out!

These days, Internet connectivity is considered a basic necessity, and for seniors, it can be a major source of protection against social isolation. Up to 90% of seniors have an internet connection through a home desktop or laptop computer, according to Pew Research Center, and a majority of seniors have begun to adopt mobile technologies as well.

A new tablet called GrandPad is designed to keep seniors connected and entertained the same way most of us stay in touch: through technology. Even if the user has never sent an email in their life, the tablet’s dead-simple interface and endlessly helpful support open the tablet up to just about everyone.

If you have a family member that has a hard time with technology and you want to maintain easy contact with them, the GrandPad (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is your best bet.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — The GrandPad tablet program is expanding at the St. Louis County Library. The library is providing more of the tablets to help older adults access technology and connect with their loved ones.

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and St. Louis County Library Director Kristen Sorth on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 discuss the expansion of the GrandPad tablet Program. The library will be offering an additional 1,500 tablets for adults aged 75 and older.

Our mission at GrandPad is to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, social isolation for older adults so we can reconnect seniors to family, friends, and caregivers, and to community resources.

Nathan Vogt, Director of Strategic Accounts at GrandPad joins Abbie for Tech Tuesday!  Discover how GrandPad is improving the lives of millions of seniors by connecting them with family, friends and caregivers.

Maintaining occupied and active is important, especially for older adults at higher risk for loneliness and boredom. This age group often has time on hand to use however they would like to. A fun and great way to use this time are to find and do activities that you love, whether that is reading or bicycling.

GrandPad, the purpose-built tablet for people over the age of 75, announced today that it has expanded the language capabilities in its tablet and free Companion App to include nearly 40 languages. The enhanced language functionality underscores the company’s commitment to making technology accessible for all seniors — regardless of age, race, or ability level — and their caregivers.

One of the best ways to foster healthy aging is to pursue creative expression. The opportunities to get engaged in the arts are not just reserved for those “right brained” individuals who are natural-born painters. While drawing and sculpting are great activities, we can also get creative while cooking, inventing, sewing, dancing, crafting, taking photos, and playing an instrument. No matter what form of the arts suits you best, one easy way to improve overall health and wellbeing is just to listen to music.

Life in the Information Age, while exciting, is not without its challenges. It feels like every time the latest technology is learned, something new comes along to replace it. For seniors, the technology boom we’re experiencing has the potential to feel intimidating or downright impossible to participate in.  As society forges ahead, it’s crucial to make sure our seniors don’t get left behind. That’s where GrandPad comes in.

While there is a continual stream of new phone releases virtually every day, the elderly are frequently overlooked. So here’s a list of phones for their convenience.

While we’ve long been a digital world, the pandemic found us using virtual communication more than ever before. And for people who took pride in eschewing technology or maybe just had a little trouble figuring it out, inability to Zoom meant not seeing loved ones. Fortunately, Scott Lien was ahead of the game.

When it comes to cellphone features and options, the choices can be overwhelming, especially when considering the unique needs of older adults. But when you know your needs and have a budget in mind, you can find the right fit for a happy cellular relationship.

One of life’s greatest blessings as we grow older is the gift of time. For many, this means more opportunities to travel, stay physically active, pursue creative passions, learn new skills and find new hobbies. Above all, we’re given the chance to get closer to loved ones and reconnect with family and friends around the world everyday.

Throughout the pandemic, St. Louis County Library worked with a variety of community partners to provide critical resources to the region. Efforts included using branch parking lots to distribute over 2 million drive-thru meals with Operation Food Search, providing emergency diapers and period supply kits from the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank, and issuing thousands of Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots to area students to assist with virtual learning, as well as providing GrandPad tablets to help older adults access technology and stay connected through the Digital Equity Initiative.

GrandPad aims to eliminate the digital divide faced by the older generation with its senior-friendly device: Amid today’s highly saturated market for cellular devices and communication apps, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, especially for the 75-plus crowd. That’s part of the reason that Hopkins-based entrepreneur Scott Lien decided to launch a new tablet designed with the older adults set in mind.

The St. Louis County Library GrandPad tablet program is helping senior residents connected with loved one and health care professionals throughout the pandemic and the popular initiative will continue. GrandPad has received $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act [ARPA] funding from St. Louis County and will continue to assist residents over the age of 75 to access technology and stay connected with the world.

St. Louis County has allocated $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to continue the GrandPad tablet program in conjunction with the St. Louis County Library. The GrandPad tablet is designed to meet the needs of those over the age of 75 to access technology and stay connected to loved ones throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial 1,500 GrandPad tablets were purchased using $1 million in federal CARES Act funds.

About 3,000 St. Louis County seniors will be able to access the internet this year with GrandPad tablets: The county has allocated $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to continue the GrandPad tablet program in conjunction with the St. Louis County Library, the library said in a news release Wednesday.

The rapid advancement in technology is no doubt a boon but only for those who can make the most out of it. Unfortunately, senior citizens who are well past their prime rarely fall in the above category. Ironically, it is technology itself that has come to the rescue of the seniors in the form of the GrandPad tablet.

For many people, gifts for the older adults in their lives can often be an afterthought. As people age, they tend to just buy the things they want instead of waiting for gifts from others, making holiday shopping for older relatives and friends a bit more difficult.

GrandPad is the perfect gift for grandparents 75+ who might find technology overwhelming but still want to text and Skype with grandkids.

Dear Readers: You may have heard of the GrandPad, a uniquely designed, purpose-built tablet for older adults that’s an international hit. A fun fact that many local people may enjoy is that Scot Lien, GrandPad’s CEO can be found working and living in Wabasha, Minn. The Iowa native and his family fell in love with the river town in 1995, maintaining a presence there even before becoming full-time residents. GrandPad came to be because Lien noticed that his mother had trouble with cell phones and computers. Determined to find a solution, he recruited advisors in their 80s and 90s, and with their input, he and his son Isaac created the GrandPad. Lien continues to maintain a board of “grand advisors.”

Shopping for men can be tough. So we’re here to help with our Holiday Gift Guide for Men. Check out these cool Christmas gifts for men fo. We’re continually searching out the best gift ideas and adding them here in this gift guide for guys. Some of the items in this guide use affiliate links, some items are from our sponsors, and all are perfect for any guy on your list.

Are you looking for fabulous Christmas ideas for women? Whether you’re shopping for your mother, sister, daughter, aunt, best friend or wife, our Holiday Gift Guide for Women has all the best Christmas gifts for her.

Technology has evolved over the last 20 years, making it much easier for everyone to learn, work and shop. But some elders may not realize how all these can help them, especially if they have never used the high-tech devices and gadgets that offer solutions to their everyday problems. The recent pandemic has proven that they need technology to live. Keep reading to discover more about the tech gadgets that would be essential for the elders.

Traditional ideals of caregiving revolve around providing physical support—cooking, cleaning, driving, dressing, administering medication, shopping. But caregiving comes with a tremendous amount of emotional heavy lifting as well.

One tool she discovered to help her do this more effectively, especially from afar, is the GrandPad, a tabletlike device with large buttons and an intuitive interface that enables even the least technologically savvy seniors to video chat with family members without complex connectivity issues. It allows Brown to have “face-to-face” conversations with her mother using her own iPad every day—something she wasn’t doing when she was in office.

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Viola Linderbaum, a resident of the Ossian Hospice Center, has found a unique tool to stay connected during the pandemic—a GrandPad that her family gave her after the death of her husband.

"We did a lot of Zoom calls to my family and I would see them quite often that way," Linderbaum said.

The GrandPad became crucial during her own battle with COVID-19 during the holidays.

"I don't know if she would have survived during COVID-19 without it because we felt very isolated from her," said Dianne Ameling, Viola's daughter. "I could call her on the GrandPad and see how she was looking physically."

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Stanley Kalata, 83, of Depew is a faithful Bills fan who got a Josh Allen jersey for his birthday last August from his wife of 54 years, Karen, and her sister.

While Karen and Stanley have each other, and a few good books to pass the time, they still felt very isolated the last year and half amid the pandemic, unable to even visit their daughter and grandchildren in Syracuse.

"It's been hard,” said Stanley. “It's very difficult not being able to get in touch with people and stuff like that. Very challenging, I mean, to have that alone feeling."

To overcome that feeling, Stanley was given a GrandPad from Catholic Health's Living Independently For Elders, or LIFE, program in Buffalo.

"We had trouble contacting my mother-in-law for months during the lockdowns. Like many older folks, she still relied on a landline phone. When she didn’t pick up, my wife would wonder whether she was out, couldn’t hear the phone, or was unable to answer. And when she did pick up, we’d still wonder if she was really OK."

Between the Cloud, the algorithms, and the litany of icons splayed across our home screens, the rules of living had changed so much in the previous decade. Suddenly, technology as familiar as the telephone became extraordinarily complicated, and we worried whether America’s golden-agers could ever catch up.

One of the people trying to solve that problem is Scott Lien, a former Intuit executive who became an advocate for elder accessibility in 2014 after feeling increasingly “digitally disconnected” from his octogenarian mother in Iowa.

Just because someone is getting up there in years, that doesn’t mean the should internet-connected world need leave them behind. Yes, even the silver-haired among us deserve to make Zoom calls, message on WhatsApp, and play a game or two.

Medioh will deploy GrandPad tablets and provide operational support for patients who will benefit from innovative models of virtual care in the comfort of their homes. Medioh’s proven logistics and support service offerings and core mission are a natural fit with GrandPad’s dedication to elevating the healthcare experience for patients, families, and providers.

Keeping in touch with your dad or grandad on this Father's Day just got a little easier.

GrandPad co-founder and CEO Scott Lein discusses creating the "GrandPad" and why it's the perfect tech savvy gift for Father's Day with Good Day Columbus’ Jackie Orozco and Katie McKee.

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One of the most challenging things about the pandemic is the isolation that so many of our seniors feel. The difficulty connecting with family can be particularly challenging for them. Which is why this new product, The GrandPad became even more popular in the last year. It's a tablet, but it's designed specifically for our older generation. The special design features, include extra security to keep our users that are of the older generations safer and safe from online scammers. GrandPad CEO and co-founder Scott Lien and one of their users, Retha Mattson who is 100 years young, join us to talk about the device.

Time to treat some of the most loved women in our lives, our Moms. Today, lifestyle expert, Jasmine Stringer is here with a few gift ideas that will make Mother’s Day special. For more information on Jasmine, visit her website. For more information visit www.thelipbar.com, www.delysia.com, www.grandpad.net.

All Sides with Ann Fisher is a two-hour, daily public-affairs talk show designed to over time touch upon all sides of the issues and events that shape life in central Ohio. Listeners participate via telephone, e-mail, Facebook and Twitter to add to the conversations. As always at WOSU, the coverage is fair and balanced with a civil tone.

GrandPad CEO and co-founder Scott Lien discusses the digital tablet’s specialized features to meet the needs of seniors looking for simple apps, heightened security and accessible technology.

This segment originally aired on KTLA Weekend Morning News on Sunday, May 2, 2021.

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Big ideas are nothing new in Minnesota. Earl Bakken’s big idea gave us the battery-powered pacemaker. And Betty Crocker—herself a big idea of the General Mills marketing team—had a big idea that gave us shelf-stable cake mix. Truly, without Minnesotans the world wouldn’t have the supercomputer, the pop-up toaster, or Zubaz. And if these 35 ideas, inventions, and innovations are any indication, Minnesota’s not done thinking yet.

Living in a tech-savvy world can be difficult when you didn’t grow up in the computer age. But there’s a new device available to simplify the learning curve. Bingo is one of Florence Meier’s favorite games to play on the GrandPad, a tablet for seniors, but that’s not all she likes. “I can see the pictures and the videos. It’s fun,” said GrandPad user Florence Meier.

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The Muscleman of Technology, who also goes by his civilian name, Bruce Pechman, has great Mother’s Day gift ideas for all ages of motherhood.

Under the Digital Equity Initiative established last year by Dr. Sam Page, the executive of St. Louis County, the library vastly expanded its services by starting to issue 1,500 user-friendly GrandPad digital tablets to patrons over the age of 75 for use for a full year.

Now it’s easier than ever to give Mom what she wants: more time with you! With GrandPad, she’ll never miss another moment of family time. The GrandPad is purpose-built to meet the needs and interests of older moms or grandmas who have had limited experience with technology, who have no or limited access to the Internet, and who may have physical or cognitive limitations that make traditional mobile devices difficult to use.

While finding the perfect gift for a parent or a grandparent has been a meticulously challenging task, American tech innovator GrandPad launches its Grand Rewards program to make the task easier - just in time for Mother's Day this year.

At a time when personal contact is more precious than ever, society has turned to technology to stay connected with family and friends. Ironically, despite the ubiquitous nature of mobile devices and social media, many seniors are left behind by technology, causing them to suffer from social isolation and loneliness.

Finding the perfect gift for a parent or grandparent is a notoriously tall task. But with Grand Rewards from GrandPad, family caregivers can hit the trifecta of gift giving for aging parents, grandparents, and other loved ones by giving them a device built just for their needs; making it easy for friends and family to stay connected everyday; and helping them save money with $100 in Grand Rewards. It’s the perfect solution for Mother’s Day gift giving.

The GrandPad 7″ tablet is a device that is designed to help seniors over the age of 75 remain connected with friends and family. The device, which was designed by a father-son team looking to help the family’s matriarch stay connected, aims to take the complication out of technology while providing a user-friendly product and service to older people who may have a hard time adapting to some of the technical aspects of today’s devices.

The St. Louis County Library was busy Sunday distributing 1,500 GrandPad tablets bought with CARES Act funds.

The GrandPad tablet is designed to meet the needs of those over the age of 75 to access technology and stay connected to loved ones during the pandemic.

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Handed super simple technology, more than a 100 seniors in southeast Michigan have swiped their way past one long-held stereotype — chatting online with loved ones, discussing aches and pains with doctors, picking away at crosswords or popping into a casino game.

GrandPad, creator of the first purpose-built tablet for people over 75, announced today the addition of connected device capabilities to its mobile device and telehealth platform to support virtual care and remote monitoring for healthcare providers.

For these working daughters and sons, setting boundaries, employing technology and routines, asking for flexibility (and some forgiveness), and managing well-being will be critical. And while many of these recommendations are similar to what working parents can and should do, others are unique to working sons and daughters.

COVID-19 has put a spotlight on a fragile senior care system, but a vibrant health-tech ecosystem is laying track for a technology revolution that is centered on the homes—just in time for the ‘Silver Tsunami’—of aging baby boomers.

How many times have you watched employees shuffle into their workspace, drop their heads, put in earbuds and focus on the screen in front of them?
If you've ever wished you could infuse energy into their routines, now may be your chance.
Despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, human resource leaders are embracing opportunities to influence how work is done once employees return to the office.

Caregivers are truly unsung heroes. As frontline workers, you provide an invaluable service to the elders you care for, as well as to broader society. Just as we are instructed to do in airplane emergencies, put your own mask on first. This refers not only to your literal coronavirus mask, but also the metaphorical mask of self-care, self-forgiveness, recovery and rejuvenation.

Nina Brown, 87, is feisty and always has been. She chats up everyone around her, won't put up with nonsense and is quick to share an opinion or dole out orders. It's why her son Michael, who used to care for her in his home, calls her “the mayor of her facility.”

The leaders at Prospero Health recently partnered with the leaders at the Orange, California-based GrandPad, a firm that has developed the first purpose-built tablet for people over 75, to improve access to care for vulnerable seniors during the COVID-19 crisis.

People over age 65 are at a higher risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. In many countries, they've been encouraged to stay home as much as possible — even moreso than other age groups.

As home health care companies, nursing homes, hospitals, and clinics shut down to all but critical care needs when COVID-19 hit, two crises took hold across the country: reduced access to health care services, and increased loneliness.

Both loneliness and COVID-19 have the biggest impact on older adults. Whether living independently at-home, in an assisted living facility, or in a skilled nursing facility, access to care and needed social connection came to a swift and abrupt halt. Family members are prevented from visiting older adults and in-person doctor visits are being put on hold to minimize risk of contracting the virus.

Robert Seigel asks Laurie Orlov about any interesting technologies that caught her eye at the Consumer Electronic Show. Orlov mentions the GrandPad and it's "secure set" of capabilities.

Tablet device for older people launched in Ireland

Family gatherings on Zoom and FaceTime. Online orders from grocery stores and pharmacies. Telehealth appointments with physicians.

These have been lifesavers for many older adults staying at home during the coronavirus pandemic. But an unprecedented shift to virtual interactions has a downside: large numbers of seniors are unable to participate.

You need to find the best phone for seniors if you want them to be able to communicate easily, because for how important they are for keeping in contact with loved ones, they can sometimes be a bit confusing for an elderly relative to set up and use.

“We recently had a listener call in that had a dilemma. Jim told us he was 71 and not very Tech Savvy however he was still able to go to the Green Valley Public Library and will an email set up by his grandchild he could email relatives and keep in touch. Jim did not have a Smartphone, nor a Laptop, Desktop or Internet Connection at his home.”

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), GrandPad, and Orange Belgium have partnered to make connectivity more accessible for the elderly to stay socially connected with family, friends, and caregivers. GrandPad creates connected tablets and services for seniors with managed connectivity from the Orange Belgium IoT service, powered by the Ericsson IoT Accelerator platform.

The coronavirus pandemic could sharpen the health risks of loneliness. But there are ways to connect.About a quarter of people over 65 living independently in their communities are considered socially isolated, and 43 percent of those over 60 report feeling lonely — and that was before public health officials instructed older people, and everyone else, to stay home.

We take a look at GrandPad, a tablet made for the older senior population that doesn’t have a Smart Phone or Internet Connection at Home.

The Tablet comes equipped with a 4G LTE Connection and has an interface with Larger ICON for the most common task. Users can Send and Receive Email, Photos, Listen to thousands of Included Songs, and visit favorite websites.

The ranks of older and frail adults are growing rapidly in the developed world, raising alarms about how society is going to help them take care of themselves in their own homes ... there was growing evidence that staying connected, even electronically, offsets the cognitive decline associated with aging.

Internet, tablet and smartphone systems such as GrandPad, a simplified tablet for older adults ... are emerging to help with care and staving off isolation.

– John Markoff in The New York Times

GrandPad is the one product on the market that has engineered out all points of frustration for seniors.

A company that makes a tablet specifically for senior citizens entered into a partnership with a wireless carrier to make the tablet available nationwide.

FOX News talks about GrandPad in their article about Senior citizen-friendly gadgets, calling it a tablet "Designed for family members to include grandparents in the social media conversation" and highlighting the "thorough onboarding process that even includes loading custom music."

Because of the relentless pandemic, many people are staying home for Thanksgiving this year. No technology can ever fully replace an in-person holiday gathering. But it is possible to recreate some family traditions online or even learn new skills — like roasting turkey.