A touch screen is definitely a more approachable method to interact with computers for people who are not as tech literate. My grandma had a computer for years and only kind of used it. Then she got an ipad from a relative and she uses everyday, from casting netflix to her chromecast to reading ebooks she rented from the library.
I may not prefer touch screens but they can be a complete game changer for some users.
There is nothing wrong with touch screens when they are horizontal like a tablet. Vertical touch screens like on laptops or desktops are not ergonomic, and especially so for the elderly.
Entirely horizontal touch screens have the same problems as trackpads/keyboard/mice (or piano playing) that they can have in terms of wrist strain/RSIs (including carpal tunnel), and sometimes elbow movement strain/RSIs (including things like "tennis elbow").
Vertical touch screens trade the more traditional wrist/elbow strain/RSIs for other arm/elbow/shoulder strain/RSIs (including things like "gorilla arm").
Given the nature of repetitive stress, the growing consensus seems to be not that one orientation is better than the other, but that a range of orientations, and a mixture of movement types / input methods is better. For instance, move your arm some to touch a vertical screen, to mix things up from mouse movements and keyboard movements.
I may not prefer touch screens but they can be a complete game changer for some users.