I have previously tried to get my mom (86 and as tech-unsavvy as they come) interested in some kind of computing device. She liked a tablet better than laptop but still found it too difficult to use consistently.
There are some Android TV's out there that will accept a Bluetooth wireless keyboard. Many of those will run a web browser and light e-mail application (and you can do a lot with that). That may be an option if you don't need portability.
If a senior asked me for a laptop and wasn't sure he/she was going to use it, I would look to find something gently used, load it with Linux Mint, turn on the auto-updates, and set up a desktop with large font and just a few key applications on big icons.
EDIT: Just found this:
http://www.eldy.eu/about-us/
This looks to be a Linux distro specifically for seniors. Looks to be able to run on an older laptop. It is published in Italy so expect instructions to be "interesting"...