older people, technology andcommunity

8/12/2019 Older People, Technology Andcommunity

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Older people, technology and community

the potential of technology to help older people renew or developsocial contacts and to actively engage in their communities


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loneliness are real issues that everyone canrelate to and feel empathy with. Just asuniversally, social networks and socialengagement are positive features of ahealthy society. So we have battled withlanguage, favouring the terminology ofengagement and social contact over that

of exclusion and loneliness.The potential scale of this project was vastand we have necessarily had to focus on asmall number of issues. This means that,reluctantly, we had to set aside someissues that we recognise to be cruciallyimportant, particularly the issues of age-appropriate design and the need for morecommercial services to be directed to thisunderserved market.

All of the experts we involved in thisproject were clear on one thing: the realand urgent need is not for more kit.Rather, its for more appropriate servicesthat reect older peoples interests andrespond to their needs, includingsustained, community-based training andsupport. The problem has a human face.Its not solely about hard engineering,chips and wiring. Our recommendations

reect this.

Our purpose in working with the steeringgroup has been to ensure the widestpossible platform to take this pressingissue forward. We are pleased that thiswork will be picked up by a coalition, dueto be established in the coming months.Through awareness-raising, campaigning

and stimulating the creation of effectiveservices and appropriate tools, includingbut not exclusively concerned withtechnology, this coalition will seek toenable older people to renew or developsocial contacts and actively engage intheir communities in order to feel, and be,better connected.

Janet MorrisonChief Executive, Independent Age

Andrew BarnettDirector, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation,UK

Preface

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1. Executive Summary

2. Introduction

3. The potential of technologyto support older peoplesengagement in society

4. Older peoples access to anduse of technology

5. An appropriate response

6. Conclusions andrecommendations

Annex 1 Notable examples ofpractice

Annex 2 Interviewees andseminar participants

Annex 3 Steering group

members

Contents

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Social isolation and the feelings ofloneliness it leads to are commonproblems for older people living in theUnited Kingdom today. Recent researchdocuments a worrying trend that manywho work with older people haveobserved for themselves:

Fear of being alone is a major source ofanxiety as people grow old.

Some older people go for days withoutseeing another person; many die alone.

16% of older people in deprived innercity areas suffer severe loneliness.

Certain ethnic groups are particularlyvulnerable.

Isolation and loneliness can damageboth mental and physical health inolder people.

The immediate causes of social isolationare varied and depend on individualcircumstances. A scattered family, thedeath of a partner, a chronic healthcondition, diminishing sight or hearing areonly some of the factors that can leaveolder people feeling alone. Whatever the

causes, social isolation and loneliness taketheir toll on the quality of life of asignicant proportion of our population.The core questions that motivated thisresearch are: How can technology helpprevent and alleviate isolation andloneliness amongst older people? What isits potential for enabling them to developand retain social connections and activelyparticipate in their communities, both keycomponents of happiness and wellbeing?

Technology, older people and

social inclusion

This report was commissioned fromIndependent Age by the CalousteGulbenkian Foundation, UK. To developthe work, Independent Age set up a

steering group comprised of telecomscompanies, voluntary organisations andacademic institutions all with expertise tobring to the issue of how digitalcommunications technology can enableolder people to develop and maintainsocial networks and actively engage intheir communities.

In the last decade, an array oftechnologies has changed the way many

of us interact. Internet communicationsystems such as email and socialnetworking sites like Facebook and Twitterhave revolutionised personalcommunication for younger people.Government service provision is beingtransformed by technology, too, and manypeople are enjoying faster, easier accessto public services through digital means.Not the over-65s, though: studies showthat they have been largely excluded fromthis revolution and the benets it brings.A startling 70% report that they havenever used the internet.

At the time research for this reportcommenced, little attention was beingpaid to the issue of older people andaccess to technology. Today, things aredifferent. The Digital Britain report in2008 highlighted the issue and spurredthe Government to devote signicantfunding to digital participation initiatives,many with an emphasis on older people.Yet among a panoply of new initiatives,there has been little attempt to connect


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the use of technology by older peoplewith potential social benets such asreduced isolation and increased socialparticipation until now. This reportdemonstrates that technology is notmerely an end in itself, but can be ameans to enable older people to renew

and develop social contacts and engageactively in their communities. It canprovide opportunities to:

participate in meaningful work andother activities (whether paid or on avolunteer basis);

interact in new ways with family andfriends;

learn, develop skills and gather

experience; share learning, skills and experience

with others.

Addressing barriers to technologyadoption

To develop a sense of how this might beachieved, we began by looking at olderpeoples attitudes toward technology. Weknow that a large proportion of olderpeople do not use communicationstechnology, the question is, why not? Someof the important barriers to older peopleadopting digital technologies include:

Lack of home access to the internet:Only half of people aged 60-69 haveaccess to the internet at home, but thisfalls to 17% among the over-70s. Adultsover the age of 60 are also less likelythan younger adults to get internetaccess in the next year. The dominantreason for not having or seeking accessis that older people dont feel theyneed it.

Low awareness of what technology canoffer: 10% of people aged 60-69 haveaccess to the internet but dont use it.They feel that digital technology has norelevance for them and that they wouldgain nothing by using it.

Inadequate marketing: Technology

marketing is generally aimed at theyoung, promoting gimmicky aspects ofproducts that dont interest olderpeople. Or, marketing is aimed at thefrail elderly, a group with which mostolder people dont identify.

Inappropriate design: Digital equipmentis designed to attract young buyers whohave grown up using technology. Smallbuttons, ddly controls andunnecessarily complicated interfacescan all be barriers to older, or lessadept, users. The appearance ofspecial equipment is also a deterrentfor some older people who dont wantugly objects cluttering up their homes.

Anxieties: Older people tend to havecertain fears regarding technology. Oneof them is cost: they assume, forexample, that computers cost morethan they actually do. Another isbreaking equipment or doing somethingwrong. A third is security: althoughmost older people dont know enoughabout technology to be familiar withcommon security problems, many knowenough to be concerned.

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What works

These barriers prevent many older peoplefrom using communications technologyfor social interaction. Many older peoplebelieve they dont understand technology,arent equipped to deal with it, and dontreally need to: technology is for theyoung, not for them. Yet in spite of thebarriers, our research makes it clear thatolder people are fully capable of learningto use technology and that they areinterested in doing so provided they aremade aware of its benets and receiveadequate training and support. But whatdoes this mean in practice?

Benets: If we want to enable olderpeople technologically, we need to helpthem appreciate what technology can dofor them. This means tuning in to theirinterests, attitudes and expectations anddesigning programmes around theirneeds. The belief that technology is agood thingper se doesnt necessarily existamongst older people. They need to haveits value demonstrated in concrete terms,with direct application to their lives forexample, enabling them to connect to

family members living on the other side ofthe globe using Skype.

Training and support: Training and ongoingsupport help older people overcome someof their anxieties, build skills and developtheir condence in using technology. Theview of most experts is that we have all thekit that is needed. What we lack is thehuman element: the people andprogrammes to deliver the necessary

training and support.

Good practice

As an initial step, we sought to identifyexisting projects within our sphere ofinterest. We found that provision waspatchy and that projects were often short-lived. In general, projects focused ongetting older people online as opposed toproviding them with the ongoing supportthey need to stayonline. There were veryfew examples of projects with a specicfocus on using technology to addresssocial isolation. However, we identiedfour examples of sustained good practice Digital Unite, CareOnLine, INtouchkirklees and Angus Gold (the latter threeare all public sector projects althoughAngus Gold started life in the voluntary

sector). These projects have each begunto apply technology creatively to enableolder people to make connections, buildsocial networks and actively engage intheir communities. They have some otherkey features in common that furtheraddress the issues identied in theprevious section:

Good design, including appropriateinterfaces for the target group;

Training focused on how older peoplewant to use technology;

Ongoing support from a trusted source;

Low costs for participants.


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Recommendations for the

voluntary and public sectors

Our research concludes thatcommunications technologies can helpprevent and alleviate social isolation andloneliness among older people. To realise

the potential inherent in thesetechnologies, we need to develop andsupport intermediaries who can empowerolder people by educating them aboutcommunications technology and thebenets it can bring. With the rightsupport, older people will have the abilityto become part of the solution, forexample, by participating in peer-to-peersupport schemes.

In our view more voluntary organisationscould act as intermediaries, encouragingand supporting older people in their useof communications technology. Wetherefore propose to:

launch a voluntary sector pledgewhich commits charities and othervoluntary organisations to run eventson Silver Surfers Day and throughoutthe year, reaching out to older staff and

service users, helping them to get andstay online;

develop a scheme called Learn to Helpwhich will provide older people withone-to-one support in learning abouttechnology and enable older people toprovide peer support and network.

The public sector could do more, too.Local authorities and primary care trustsare already making signicant investmentin technology. But so far few have madethe connection between access totechnology and the broader issue ofhelping older people stay healthy, happy,

independent and engaged in society. Toencourage the public sector to make themost of the potential for alleviating socialisolation offered by technology, wepropose to:

work with bodies like IDeA, theAssociation of Directors of SocialServices and the Local GovernmentAssociation to raise awareness of theissue and to promote the good practice

that some public sector organisationshave already developed (see the goodpractice examples above);

commission the development of a plug-in (a piece of software that addsfunctionality) for Looking Local, thepublic sector local digital informationservice. This plug-in would enable localpublic sector organisations to offer olderpeople online opportunities for social

networking around common interests,volunteering and community service.

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employees, customers and communities touse the internet. A priority for governmentinvestment is improving the access of olderpeople and people with disabilities.However, our question about suchinitiatives is: digital participation to whatend? More specically: has sufficient

thought been given to how digitalparticipation can address what is startingto be recognised as one of the biggestthreats to older peoples health andwellbeing, a lack of meaningful socialcontact and social engagement?

A major concern about the majority of workon the theme of digital participation is thatit is not sufficiently focused on addressingsocial issues. Access to technology is not an

end in itself; there should be more focus onwhat it can enable individuals and groups todo for themselves and others. As onemember of our steering group said:

The problem with talking about technology isthat it focuses minds on kit, rather thanpurpose, outcomes, services and applicationssuch as the way smart and inventive use ofcommunications, information or knowledge canmake new, really important things possible.

Kevin Johnson, Cisco

We are interested in consideringtechnology as a means to enable olderpeople to:

participate in meaningful work and otheractivities (paid and unpaid, enablingsociety to benet from their energy andexperience);

interact in new ways with family and

friends;

learn and develop skills and experienceand share that learning and experiencewith others.

We conclude in this report that there arerelatively few projects that use technologyto help older people renew or developsocial contacts and actively engage in theircommunities (voluntary sector projectsproviding telephone befriending aside).8

Those projects that do exist are generally

small-scale and many tend to be short-lived.Nevertheless, some organisations havebeen delivering sustained work thatdirectly contributes to our agenda underthe heading of digital participation.Notable examples include Digital Uniteand UK online centres. Both have as theirmission getting older and disadvantagedpeople online and have been working tothis end for a number of years. A newer

organisation also worthy of note is DigitalOutreach which helps local voluntaryorganisations to support older, disabledand other potentially vulnerable people toadopt digital technologies.

Other important examples includeCareOnLine, INtouch kirklees and AngusGold, digital participation projects run bypublic sector agencies, all with a particularfocus on addressing social isolation.

These projects are notable because theyplace a particular emphasis not only ongetting older people online but onsupporting their ongoing engagementwith technology a theme that needs tobe given much more attention. (Moreinformation about these organisations orprojects can be found in Annex 1.)

This report has been developed byIndependent Age with funding from the

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, UK. Ithas been informed by a literature reviewand telephone interviews with 15 expertsidentied in a stakeholder mapping

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exercise and a seminar at which an interimpaper was discussed (see Annex 2 for alist of interviewees and seminarparticipants). The recommendationscontained in this report have beendeveloped by a steering group comprisingindividuals with

relevant expertise from across the public,private and voluntary sectors (see Annex3 for membership). Independent Age andthe Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, UKare now establishing a new consortium oforganisations that is seeking to help olderpeople develop social networks andactively engage in their communities. Theintention is that this coalition will rene,develop and follow through by

implementing the recommendationscontained in this report.

An issue the steering group has debated isthe denitional issue of what we mean byolder people. In this instance we havedecided to focus on the over-65s althoughsome of the statistics and the projects thatwe mention also cover the younger old,namely the over-50s. We are also keenlyaware that older people are not a

homogenous group. There is a greatdifference between a 65-year-old, who isstill in work and actively engaged inlearning about technological developmentsand a person over 80, who never used acomputer during their working life and mayregard themselves as too old to start now.

Some challenge the importance of olderpeoples access to and use of technologybecause, they suggest, as younger

generations, more familiar with technologyretire, the problem will disappear. However,there will continue to be older people whohave had little access to technology throughwork, the place where many people learn

their skills, as well as those who lose theirskills or condence when no longer working.There will also be older people who begin tond it difficult to use technology as they agebecause of poor vision, poor dexterity, poorhearing, and/or cognitive problemsassociated with ageing and who require

assistance to stay connected. We also havethe current problem to address: the olderold (those over 80) are most likely to needthe social support technology couldfacilitate since they are more likely to haveoutlived spouses and friends.

The remainder of this report contains thefour following sections:

Section 2: The potential of technology tosupport older peoples engagementin society. This section covers theevidence about social isolation andloneliness among older people andexplores whether technology might offerpart of the solution to addressing it.

Section 3: Older peoples access to anduse of technology. This sectionsummarises the evidence about olderpeoples access to and use of technologyand identies the barriers to greater usage.

Section 4: An appropriate response. Thissection considers what sort of provision isneeded to encourage and support olderpeople in their use of technology andhighlights notable projects from which wecan derive useful lessons for future workin this eld.

Section 5: Conclusions andrecommendations. This section

summarises our conclusions and contain asmall number of practicalrecommendations about how work on thetheme might best be developed.

2. Introduction

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3. The potential of technology to supportolder peoples engagement in society

This section considers the evidence aboutsocial isolation and loneliness amongstolder people and explores whethertechnology might offer part of thesolution to addressing it.

Dening the problem: social

isolation and loneliness amongolder people

As the population ages and as more peopleare living alone, social isolation amongstolder people is emerging as one of the majorissues facing the industrialised world becauseof the adverse impact it can have on healthand wellbeing.

Dr. Robyn Findlay, Australasian Centre onAgeing, University of Queensland9

Social isolation, a lack of contact withfriends and family and other loosernetworks of acquaintances, is a major issuefor signicant numbers of older people.The charity WRVS identied that 8% ofthe people it works with see no one eachday, while 72% see only two people a dayand 32 older people a day die alone athome.10 Fear of being alone is a majorsource of anxiety as people grow old.11

Social isolation is objectively dened as alack of social contact; loneliness can bethe result. Loneliness is subjective; theindividual feels the lack of social contact.Research suggests that the inuentialfactor is not the number of relationshipsbut their quality.12 The result is thathousebound older people with a carervisiting three times a day for 15 minutes

may continue to feel lonely because theymiss the contact that they had in the pastwith friends and family. Research showsthat severe loneliness (people saying

that they are always or often lonely)affects about 7% of the older population,showing little change over the past vedecades.13 Since stigma attaches toadmitting loneliness, it seems likely thatthis is an underestimate of the extent ofsevere loneliness amongst older people.

For some older people loneliness mayhave been a continuous experience,reecting lifelong patterns of behaviour,others experience old age onset, whichmay be a response to losses that occurlater in life such as bereavement ordeclining health.14

There are a multitude of reasons whypeople become increasingly isolated inlater life. Many older people have to make

the transition to living alone because theyare widowed and/or children scatter.Health factors also play a part: chronicillness and/or mobility problems mayconne older people to their homes morethan they would like (6% of older peopleleave their home once a week or less);15

while sensory impairments or mobilityproblems may make older people self-conscious and less inclined to socialise.

Another factor is that, as people get older,the deaths of those close to them maymean that they lack the sort of condingrelationships they had with people in thepast. For some the lack of materialresources and poor environment (forexample living in an area with inadequateamenities and services and fearing goingout) may also have an impact.

Older people are heterogeneous and

some groups are likely to be more at riskof loneliness than others, for example,those over 80 who live alone, particularlymen.16 Older people living in urban areas


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are also at greater risk than those living inthe country; stronger support networkstend to mean lower levels of reportedloneliness in rural areas. Some 16% ofolder people in deprived inner citiesexperience severe loneliness, with certainethnic groups, such as Pakistanis and

Somalis being particularly affected.17

Reports by Age Concern and Help theAged have dened social exclusion asfeeling detached from society, trapped athome, cut off from services, lonely andisolated, and struggling to cope.18 Thereis a clear relationship between socialexclusion and loneliness. For example, intheir analysis of severely excluded olderpeople, Age Concern identied that 43%

of the severely excluded aged 50-64group, 42% of the 65-79 age group, and37% of the 80-plus group felt lonely,compared to about 9% of the non-excluded groups.19

There is also a clear link between socialexclusion and digital exclusion. The OxfordInternet Institute found that those mostdeprived socially are also most likely to lackaccess to digital resources such as the

internet. Three out of four of those broadlysocially excluded lack a meaningfulengagement with the internet. In addition tothis, those deeply socially excluded, with nomeaningful internet engagement, accountfor 10% of the total UK population.20

There is increasing recognition that socialisolation and the loneliness it causes canadversely affect older peoples long-termhealth, mental and physical. Depression

particularly is a problem. It affects one-fthof older people, two-fths of those living incare homes, and is a signicant problemamongst older caregivers, particularly

those caring for people with dementia.21

Social isolation, resulting in loneliness,among older people is therefore amajor issue. Yet it has so far receivedrelatively little attention and the potential oftechnology to help in addressing it has beenboth underexplored and underexploited.

Technology: a part of thesolution?

Some current technology trends are bothrelevant and exciting, for example theinteroperability between different systems, andthe high-speed, always-on connectivity thatsenabling increasingly easy, effective andefficient ways to communicate andcollaborate. The explosion thats happening in

video-based approaches helping people tointeract visually is one example.


Some are sceptical about whethertechnology can reduce social isolation orwhether it actually reinforces it. There isconcern, for example, that public sectorefforts to deploy technology in social carewill result in older people feeling moreisolated as face-to-face contact is

replaced by remote monitoring systems.For example, a small-scale evaluation byone local authority provider of telecareshowed that a very small proportion ofolder users, less than 4%, reported beingmore lonely after receiving telecare.Tunstall Healthcare Group, a privatesector leader in the provision of telecare,speculates that this may be in partbecause some friends and relatives,

reassured by the installation of thesystem, became less engaged.22

Others question whether technology iseroding community links and reducing

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social capital.23, 24 Some research studieschallenge this view, concluding that use ofemail chatrooms and noticeboards inparticular communities results in strongerties between community members offline.25

Our view is that technology, if deployed inthe right way, as a supplement to and an

enabler of direct contact, can help olderpeople to maintain and develop socialsupport networks. Some aspects oftechnology have obvious benets. Emailand voice over internet calls can enablequick and cheap contact with friends andrelatives across the globe. At a recentInternational Federation on Ageingconference in Melbourne on the topic ofsocial inclusion and technology, video was

also highlighted as a means to helpimprove peoples quality of life, forexample the value of Skype for friends andfamilies who would otherwise not see orbe able to feel close to each other.26

These and other technologicaldevelopments meanwhile will continue toenhance both access and experience. Oneof our steering group members, KevinJohnson of Cisco considers that:

Video is perhaps the most disruptive andliberating area of technological developmentright now. It is also one of the most relevantfor social inclusion, because its aboutenabling human contact, interaction,participation and engagement (i.e. the verythings that make people feel good). Someexamples of the way it could be used include:

- live interaction: easy-to-use, ultra highdenition links between individuals orgroups in community facilities, home, andpublic spaces;

- recorded video: new, easy ways to share

moments with others, help people feelinvolved, and feel good;

- broadcast video: sharing events via digitalmedia platforms, to interest, amuse orcreate a buzz.

Meanwhile, work on an internet over TV

protocol27

and the availability of pre-programmed remotes will make it easierto use the internet over TV, potentiallymaking it possible for more older peopleto have access the web using familiartechnology that is already in their frontroom. The Digital Switchover Programme,and the support it gives to olderpeople28, provides the opportunity topromote use of the internet over TV andto provide access to many older peoplewithout computers.

Technology is becoming a bigger part ofeveryones life, making it easier for peopleof all kinds to:

- maintain contact with family, friends anda wider group of individuals with whomthey have something in common, such aswork, hobbies or common experiences;

- gain access to information about

activities and services that meet theirinterests and needs;

- learn;

- engage in paid work and volunteering;

- participate in debates and have their sayon issues;

- nd the best prices for products andservices.

Without the technology that benets anincreasing majority of the population,older people do not have access to thesame information and opportunities as


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their younger peers. They may as a resultbegin to feel over time that they have lessin common with younger people andother members of the community. Quitesimply, they lack the same opportunitiesfor engagement.

There are relatively few projects which use

technology to address social isolationamong older people. However, the smallnumber that we came across in this researchreported very positive user experiences. Auser of INtouch kirklees, a local authoritydigital information service that also acts as ahost to online interest groups (see Annex 1for more information) said:

When you live by yourself (and I dont get outall that much actually), its contact. You feelthat youre with people. Well, it opened up awhole new world for me, doing things that Inever would have done in a million years Itsnot just a resource centre, its a sort of a club,and it gives people a voice it can empowerpeople as well.29

In an evaluation report for theLeicestershire CareOnLine initiative, whichprovides computer and assistivetechnology training and support in olderpeoples homes (see Annex 1 for moreinformation), participants reported thatthey had beneted in a number of ways.They felt the training had enabled greatersocial interaction. Participants said theyhad made new friends through the serviceand reported that it had made them feellike they had things in common withyounger people and others in thecommunity. It had also improved their

condence and the ability to access otherservices through the internet.30

Another evaluation, this time of the AngusGold project which offered training and

support to the over-50s in usingtechnology (see Annex 1 for moreinformation), also emphasised the socialbenets. Participants said the traininghelped them maintain social ties, especiallywith dispersed family. They were able todiscover common ground with younger

family members and re-establish links withlost contacts. The result was increasedsocial contact and a more developednetwork. It had also helped some toparticipate in community events.31

An explicit objective of Angus Gold was tosupport community engagement. Some ofthe participants became volunteers,actively supporting others to adopttechnology. This illustrates an important

factor, older people can give as well asreceive social support. This element ofreciprocity is crucially important. Incommon with the rest of the population,older people want to feel that they aregiving something back to society and thatthe positive contribution that they makeis valued.

Recent research has identied some of thelife changes that encourage older people

to take up the internet. Triggers include:taking up a specic hobby, enteringretirement, having relatives move abroad,becoming housebound or losing apartner.32 Four of these life changes couldalso mark reduced social contact andpotentially loneliness and depression. Moreevidence that for older people, technologycan be a means of preventing or alleviatingsocial isolation and loneliness.

Emerging ndings from an ongoingresearch project at LoughboroughUniversity based on focus groups andindividual interviews with older people

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When you live by yourself (and Idont get out all that much

actually), its contact. You feel thatyoure with people. Well, it openedup a whole new world for me, doingthings that I never would have donein a million years Its not just aresource centre, its a sort of aclub, and it gives people a voice it can empower people as well.

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reveal that they are motivated to usetechnology by a number of factors. Theseinclude the desire to remain active andindependent and to communicate withfamily and friends, especially remote ones,using email. They were also motivated touse technology in order to ensure the

world does not pass them by, to seekinformation, particularly news and healthinformation, and to support their learningand education generally. Those whoparticipated in the research reported thathaving the ability to get online gave themthe sense of having more social support.

They also reported feeling more mentallyalert, challenged, useful and younger.33

Technology then has potential to helpolder people renew or develop socialcontacts and actively engage in theircommunities but our research andconsultation indicates that we need to

increase older peoples access and useof technology before we can realise thispotential. The next section exploresthis issue.


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This section considers the evidence aboutolder peoples access to and use oftechnology and barriers to greater usage.

Technology isnt the thing we want olderpeople to access (or anyone else for thatmatter) it is the services and capabilitiesand experiences that technology can enable.

Ubiquitous network connectivity, and easyaccess is the key to the door.


To take this further: in this instance it isntnetwork connectivity or access alone thatprovide the key. Services and applicationsdesigned to help older people renew ordevelop social contacts and to activelyengage in their communities are also

needed to unlock the potential oftechnology to improve lives.

Some of the gures on older peoples use,or rather non-use, of technology arestartling. 70% of over-65s report thatthey have never used the internet.34 Thisis notable given the evidence that digitalexclusion is linked to and can exacerbateother forms of disadvantage.35 Further,the groups least likely to use technology

are those older old people, 80-plus, whohave low or no educational qualications,who would most benet from the costcomparison, special offers and deliveryoptions that it offers. Another factor ofnote is that access to technology falls offdramatically if you compare the age group65-75 with the over-80s so for example,33% of people who are aged 65-75 havebroadband, but the gure declines to 13%for the over-75s. Similarly, 81% of 65-74

year olds own a mobile phone but for the75-plus age group, this gure decreasesto 50%.37

The gures for older peoples use of theinternet remain surprisingly low, yet thisisnt because they are incapable of usingit. The research suggests that olderpeople do have the capacity to usetechnology and are willing to learn.38 Thiswillingness, coupled with enthusiasm for

acquiring new knowledge, appears to beone key determinant of success for olderadopters of new technology, just as it isacross all age groups. And, like people ofother ages, with the right support olderpeople can master technology and gainsignicant benet from it.

Research by Age Concern and Help theAged39 indicates that one in six adults aged55-plus use social networking services like

Facebook, Skype, Twitter or YouTube,although OFCOM indicate that only 8% ofthose aged 55 and older have a socialnetwork prole (compared to 25% of alladults).40 Also, older people are the fastestgrowing group of internet users (althougha smaller percentage of older people areonline as already noted)41 and peopleaged over 65 who have internet accessspend more hours online than the average

for all ages (perhaps because older peoplehave more time).42Just over two-thirds(68%) of internet users aged 65 and overuse it for communication on a weekly basis,only slightly less than all UK adult internetusers (72%). Nearly one-third use theinternet for transactions (for examplebanking, or shopping) on a weekly basis.Over one-quarter use it to look at news,although overall breadth of use is narrowerthan that for all UK adults.43

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Marketing does not reect older peoplesinterestsGenerally, technology is not marketed toolder people in a way that reects theirneeds and interests:

Once someone has seen a photo of agrandchild or bought something online or

checked their bank account then they've gotit and youve successfully engaged them withdigital media and, unbeknown to them, therelevance of digital literacy.

Emma Solomon, Digital Unite

The most common examples given by olderpeople of why they get on to the internet areto send and receive photos and keep in touchwith family and friends. We must talk about

technology in terms of what it can help themdo, and how they can benet from it ratherthan in technical or theoretical terms.Making it easier to shop, bank, get the latestknitting patterns, is much more appealingthan talking about the Windows platform,hardware, and broadband speeds.

Steve Tyler, RNIB

The marketing of technology is oftenaimed at young people, emphasising the

new gimmicky aspects of the product,which most people, regardless of age, willnever use fully. Or it is aimed at the frailelderly, a group with which most olderpeople do not identify.

Inappropriate designMany of the experts that we interviewedalso considered that design was animportant issue:

Most technology gives the impression of being

designed by and for 24-year-old males. Littletechnology is sensitive to the needs andwants of older people.

Alan Newell, Dundee University

The private sector is much moreconcerned about having a market amongthe younger age groups:

The so-called business case only works in autopian environment of unlimited capital.When you compete for capital in the real worldthe teens win out against the oldies. If there

really was a business case it would be pursued.

Kevin Carey, Humanity

This lack of interest on the part ofdesigners can mean that products arentas user-friendly for older people as theymight be. For example, small buttons,ddly controls and unnecessarilycomplicated interfaces are daunting topeople who may not have grown up with

technology and whose manual dexterity isnot as good as it once was. The expertswe interviewed were clear that theappropriate response to this problem wasnot to create specially designed productsfor older people (this is regarded asstigmatising) but rather encourage moreinclusive design for all. The issues olderusers highlight, it was acknowledged, affectall of us to one degree or another.

Design is also important in another way.Older people dont want ugly equipment,which would not look out of place in ahospital, in their home. In common witheveryone else, they want objects they arehappy to live with because they areaesthetically pleasing:

There... appears to be a view that it is notnecessary to design beautiful objects tosupport older and disabled people, and

manufacturers do not seem to correlate poor(private) sales and/or utilisation of theirequipment with this view.

Alan Newell, Dundee University51

4. Older peoples access to and useof technology

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It is to be hoped that greater interest ininclusive design processes and greaterengagement from manufacturers anddesigners as the population ages will makedesign which is appropriate across ageranges more of a commercial imperative.

Other issuesCost: Cost is often cited as a signicantbarrier in the minds of older people.Older people tend to assume that thecosts of technology are higher than theyactually are (for example, assuming thatcomputers cost 1,000, when they arenow available for much less).52 Astechnology has become ubiquitous, priceshave come down. Other costs of course

come into play, and older people may alsobe concerned about the costs of ongoingsupport, of replacing hardware andupdating software and maintaining abroadband connection.

Breakage: Another issue, raised by oursteering group, is the fear of breakingequipment:

Some older people may have worked infactories where an error could break amachine and cost lives (and their jobs).

Kevin Doughty, Centre for UsableTechnology York University

Qualitative research conducted withpeople aged 55-64 and those aged 65-plus found that the main barriers to digitalinclusion were a lack of understanding andcondence, combined with fears aboutdoing something wrong and security.53

Security: Research undertaken in 2005 by

Loughborough University identied anumber of barriers to older peoples useof the internet, some of which havealready been mentioned here. Additionallythe research identied concerns aboutsecurity and privacy as barriers for olderpeople using the internet.54 These worrieshave been echoed in more recentLoughborough research with focus groupsand individuals where once again security

and privacy were notable issues forparticipants. For a complete list of barriersidentied by the research, see the notes.55


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This section lays out the sort of provisionthat is needed to encourage and supportolder people to use technology to activelyengage in their communities. It highlightssome notable projects on whose success wemight build.

What sort of provision needs tobe put in place

The view of some of the experts whoseviews we canvassed is that we dont neednew technology. Instead, we needcontinued improvement in technologysspeed, functionality and interoperability,further reduction in costs and easier waysto interact with it. Most of all we need toapply the technology we have intelligently,

developing service options that:

- encourage and support older peoplesuse of technology by taking intoaccount such issues as training, ongoingsupport, cost and design (includingappropriate interfaces);

- apply technology creatively to enableolder people to make connections, buildnetworks and actively engage in their

communities.Consumer Panel Research suggests thatolder people are interested in usingtechnology if they are aware of itsbenets and if they receive the righttraining and support.56 Similarly, emergingndings from ongoing research byLoughborough suggests that olderpotential users need, amongst otherthings, to understand the relevance of ICT

to daily living and they need ongoingassistance, advice and reassurance.57 Thisresearch also suggests that older peoplerequire information about the costs of

getting and maintaining equipment and abroadband connection. The implication isthat we need to help older people betterappreciate both the costs of technologyand what it can offer them, while givingthem the right support and training toenable them to use it well, developing

their condence and skills.The provision of training and ongoingsupport is key because it helps olderpeople overcome some of their anxietiesabout technology, their preconceptionsabout how difficult it is to use and aboutthe cost of support when accessed on theopen market. Training and support is alsovital to ensure that older people cancontinue to use technology as it develops

or as they experience sight or otherproblems which necessitate changeseither in the technology they use or howthey use it. However, training and ongoingsupport is perceived to be one of thebiggest gaps in provision:

One of the biggest problems is education,making sure there are ways for people toaccess technology which make it attractive.Lots of money is often put into capital

purchases like hardware or infrastructure butongoing training and support... is whatpeople want and need.

Steve Tyler, RNIB

Research canvassing older peoples viewsabout what would help them access anduse computers and the internet supportsthis analysis. Interviewees said thatawareness raising, training, subsidies andongoing help would support them to

adopt technology. With regard to training,those questioned preferred small classesor one-to-one tuition that would allowthem to learn at their own pace, not feel

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embarrassed by asking questions andlearn alongside people like themselves.58

One emerging nding from ongoingresearch by Loughborough Universityindicates that older people have apreference for training in informal settingswhere they work with their peers.59 Our

steering group also emphasised the needto provide training for people in their ownhomes either because they may be unableor unwilling to visit community facilities orother venues where training is provided.

Access to technology and the contact thatit enables is likely to help reduce socialisolation but so too will the training,education and support which facilitatesaccess, particularly if based around group

activities. A systematic review of a range ofinterventions used to alleviate and preventsocial isolation and loneliness among olderpeople identied that the most effectiveapproaches were group activities with aneducational or support input.60

Given that one of our concerns is toprevent and address social isolation andloneliness our emphasis is on making andmaintaining connections through

technology. One of the members of oursteering group stressed the need for:

...more volunteers to become involved, familiesto take responsibility. It's about actuallyspending time with people and talking tothem, people making themselves availablethrough technology... We need to get people toaccept that being a virtual or remote friend issomething that is needed. Then we can puttogether the technology package that best

utilises that resource.Kevin Doughty, Centre for UsableTechnology, York University

We therefore need to develop serviceoptions focused on facilitating olderpeoples opportunities to connect andactively engage.

In summary then, we need serviceresponses that enable older people to getonline and which support them to stay

online. At the same time, services shoulduse technology creatively to provideopportunities for older people to connectwith others and develop mutuallysupportive networks. The good practiceexamples below are starting todemonstrate how technology might beused in this way.

Building on good practice

One of the experts involved in this projectsummed up existing provision in thefollowing way:

Being diffuse, projects are small-scale andtend not to last.

Leela Damodaran, LoughboroughUniversity

Other experts suggested that there is adearth of provision based on the key

elements we have identied as important(design including appropriate interfaces;training focused on how older peoplewant to use technology; ongoing supportfrom a trusted source and affordability).However, in our research we came across asmall clutch of projects that have beensustained over a number of years andwhich demonstrate all, or the majority of,these elements.

Three of the four projects describedbelow are public sector projects, althoughone started life in the voluntary sector.One is a private sector initiative albeit one


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that delivers signicant social benet. Inour research we also came across notablevoluntary sector schemes which ransuccessfully for a couple of years but werenot sustained once their initial projectfunding ceased. The four sustainedpractice examples that struck us as

noteworthy are:Digital Unite helps organisations such assheltered housing landlords get theirresidents online and trains specialisttutors which visit learners at home. Animportant initiative developed by DigitalUnite is Silver Surfers Day. This providesresources to support local organisationsin the public, private and voluntarysectors offering free IT taster sessions to

older people in their communities on onenational day across the UK. Digital Unitehas sought to overcome design andtechnical issues by developing appropriateresources and it has supported olderpeoples continued use of technology bydeveloping digital learning communitieswhich are self-sustaining.

CareOnLine, an initiative of LeicestershireCounty Council, provides information

about local services and offers a chatroomfacility. It provides computer and assistivetechnology, training and support in olderpeoples homes. It developed its own webinterface based on feedback from itsusers. It is notable because it offers acomprehensive service, providing accessto the equipment, training and ongoingsupport that older and other vulnerablepeople need. Also, it has a dedicated team

that provides support.INtouch kirklees is a local digitalinformation service which also enableslocal people to provide content and

participate in interest groups run by avolunteer. It has an attractive interfacewhich is designed to be easy to navigate.The service is accessible over digital TV,mobile phones and the Wii.

Kirklees has found that take up of digitalTV in disadvantaged areas is very high. It

believes that the Digital SwitchoverProgramme will signicantly extend accessto the service particularly amongst theover-75s who will benet from the HelpScheme.

Although InTouch kirklees ispredominantly a local information service,Kirklees considers that it has been mostvaluable for those who are in some wayisolated, who previously felt 'left out' and'left behind'.

INtouch spawned the Looking Localinitiative, a not-for-prot company set upby Kirklees to provide similar digitalinformation platforms to other publicsector agencies on a subscription basis.Other public sector authorities havetherefore used the service to offer interestgroups and therefore networkingopportunities of various kinds tocommunity members.

Looking Local develops plug-ins orparticular additional elements that localauthorities and other public sectoragencies can add to the basic digitalpackage. It is currently developing a plug-in with Timebank that provides access toinformation about timebankingopportunities on its platform. Thisadaptable platform therefore has thepotential to support applications whichare specically aimed at older people andwhich support social networking andcommunity engagement.


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Kirklees is also a partner in the VIRTExproject. This is a partnership betweenTunstall Healthcare Group, FoldHousing Association, Housing 21,Looking Local and the University ofSheffield.61 VIRTEx is using digital TV toset up a virtual community of service

users and carers. It is also piloting two-way video conferencing. It characterisesthe project as social networking usingdigital TV.

Angus Gold sought to provideinformation and increase awareness,usage and uptake of IT/internet accessby the over-50s. It developed a websiteinvolving the participants and focusedon the access and usability needs of

inexperienced and frail users. Freetraining was delivered to small groups,tailored to each learner, in community

locations. A mobile training facility wasalso used. The project was regarded byparticipants as an opportunity toestablish or widen their social networks.A key objective was to involveparticipants in the community. This wasachieved through forums, which

engaged in discussion and actionrelating to the interests and concernsof the participants. The project, startedin 2004, was due to nish in March2006 but was extended for a furtheryear to allow for completion. Theapproach is now embedded in theCommunity Learning and DevelopmentService in Angus.

See Annex 1 for more information

about these organisations and projects.

One of the biggest problems iseducation, making sure there are waysfor people to access technology which

make it attractive. Lots of money isoften put into capital purchases like

hardware or infrastructure butongoing training and support is what

people want and need.Steve Tyler, RNIB


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...I don't think that for the very elderly agegroup, who are likely to be the most lonely,that a technological revolution is feasible.Using existing technology in a new way islikely to be the way forward.

Alan Walker, University of Sheffield

This report summarises some of theevidence indicating that social isolation andloneliness among older people isa major problem and suggests thattechnology may be part of the solution,helping older people to renew or developsocial contacts and to actively engage intheir communities. We have concluded that:

- solutions do not necessarily lie in thedevelopment of new kit but rather in

better use of the technology thatalready exists (which is constantlyevolving);

- technology by itself is not the answer, itcannot replace human contact, but itmay be a means of better facilitating it;

- older people need training and supportto start using and keep usingtechnology;

- design and ease of use issues need to beaddressed;

- the benets of technology need to bemarketed to older people in a way thatreects their needs and aspirations;

- we need to develop and supportintermediaries to empower, educate andenable older people to be part of thesolution, for example, by volunteering inpeer-to-peer support schemes;

- we need to develop service options whichsupport/create opportunities for olderpeople to connect and participate.

In developing recommendations we havesought to:

build on what we know about the needsand aspirations of older people;

build on existing work and complementor supplement it;

advocate approaches which aresustainable and capable of beingdelivered across the country so moreolder people can benet;

provide a framework for collectiveaction.

In considering our recommendations, werecognised the need to prioritise among anumber of important issues and so had to

leave aside two which we considerparticularly relevant: the issue ofappropriate design and the need todevelop a market for services andproducts suited to the needs andaspirations of older people. Rather thanbeing directed at the private sector ourrecommendations are directed at both thevoluntary and the public sectors.

Our recommendations fall under two

headings:- Supporting older people to get online

and stay online. This is a key buildingblock because it enables access to socialnetworking facilities and otherapplications which support and promotecommunity engagement;

- Increasing awareness in the public sectorof the issue of social isolation andloneliness and encouraging public sector

organisations to make adaptations totechnology-based services that will helpaddress the problem. We regard this as ameans of achieving the sustained,

6. Conclusions and recommendations

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ongoing provision which will bringlasting social benet to socially isolatedolder people.

Supporting older people to get onlineAs indicated in the last section, asignicant amount of work is alreadybeing supported under the heading digital

participation and one priority group forthis work is older people.

One important initiative is Silver SurfersDay organised by Digital Unite; onenational day on which local organisationsare supported in running internet tastersessions for older people. Although theinitiative is very valuable, it operates onlyone day each year and Digital Unite areconsidering how they can extend theprogramme so that activities are runthroughout the year. We propose to supportthis initiative by developing and launching avoluntary sector pledge: Using Digital Unitesresources and support (as well as others),charities and other voluntary organisationswould pledge to run events on Silver SurfersDay and throughout the year with theintention of getting all the older people theywork with and their older staff and volunteers

online by demonstrating its benets to them.

One of the themes of our research andconsultation work is the importance ofproviding education and ongoing supportto older people in their use of computersand the internet. A number of technologybuddying schemes for older peoplealready exist, including some that matcholder people with youngertrainers/supporters. 62 However we

consider that there is a need for moreprovision and we propose to develop ascheme called Learn to Helpthat will notonly help older people to get online but

will help them to stay online throughmembership of a support communitywilling to share knowledge and providepractical help. The Learn to Help schemewould build on the voluntary sectorpledge, working through charities andother voluntary organisations to recruit

volunteer helpers (including but notrestricted to older volunteer helpers) tosupport older people, one to one, in theirlearning about and use of computers andthe internet. The volunteer would besomeone that the older person feltcomfortable contacting whenever theyneeded help. Assistance would beprovided over the phone, by email orface-to-face and in the older persons

home if appropriate. Volunteers would benetworked through groups with a groupleader and would be provided withresources and materials to support theirwork. Our intention is to develop theinitiative as a social enterprise that is bothsustainable and scalable.

Encouraging the public sector to respondSignicant investment is made by localauthorities and primary care trusts in

services for older people but the generalperception is that scant attention is givento the issue of social isolation and theserious impact it can have on olderpeoples health. We propose to work withbodies like IDeA, the Association of Directorsof Social Services and the Local GovernmentAssociation to raise awareness of this agendaamong staff in the public sector and topromote the good practice that some havealready developed in adapting existingtechnology-based services to respond moredirectly to the problem.


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Our research and consultation workindicates that both telecare and localauthority digital information services offersignicant potential to provide servicesenabling older people to renew anddevelop social contacts and become moreactively engaged in their communities.

Adapting these services could costrelatively little and bring potentially largesavings for the public sector because olderpeople are supported and encouraged tobe as independent, as active and asengaged as possible for longer.

Attention is only starting to be paid to thepotential that telecare has to addresssocial as well as health and care needs.VIRTEx, described in Annex 1, offers a rare

example of using existing telecaretechnology, in this case digital TV, todevelop a virtual community of serviceusers and carers . It provides a potentialmodel that the public sector mightconsider when developing orcommissioning telecare services.

The local authority digital informationservice, Looking Local, described in thelast section, already provides a platform

for social networking, for example hostingbook and bridge clubs.

We propose to commission development of anew plug-in for Looking Local, available to allpublic sector subscribers, focused on olderpeople, local services, social networking andopportunities for volunteering and communityengagement. We will also market this newcomponent to promote its use.

These recommendations are designed tohelp achieve better outcomes and improvedquality of life for older people. We considerthat as the population ages and as thenumber of older one-person householdsincreases that isolation and loneliness willbecome an ever more pressing issue. Onthe basis of the work we have undertakenwe consider that appropriate use oftechnology holds great potential to

enhance older peoples wellbeing, providingopportunities to connect; be active; takenotice; keep learning and give.63 We hopethat others will support us in our efforts torealise this potential.

6. Conclusions and recommendations

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Annex 1 Notable examples of practice

Digital Unite

Digital Unite (DU) denes and manageslocal and national campaigns to get olderpeople online and to put digital inclusionon the political and media agenda. Itprovides digital skills training that isfocused on the over-50s, and designedfor new and nervous users. DU manages aUK-wide network of specialist tutors whodeliver on-site digital skills tuition to olderlearners at home, at work, and in othercommunity and learning environments.

DU services range from providing personalassistance to older individuals, who want toachieve or extend their digital skills, rightthrough to running national campaignsthat bring together the voluntary andprivate sectors and the wider community,to help older people get and remain online.Learning and using of IT is an excellentcatalyst for intergenerational dialoguewhere older people can learn from theyoung and vice versa. Wherever possibleDU harnesses this resource.

The DU Learning Zone is an area on theDigital Unite website providing a rich

resource of Learning Guides to help peopleimprove their digital skills from their home.They're designed to work as a resource fortrainers and as something people can useto teach themselves. Free to use and easyto print they are a resource available toeverybody. Incorporated into this zone is aQ&A area, where users can ask and answerquestions and share what they've learned.

DU is probably best known for its

organisation of the annual Silver Surfers'Day (SSD) campaign. SSD encourages andsupports organisations of every kind torun hundreds of free events for older usersup and down the country. Thousands of

people take part and try out digitaltechnology, often for the very rst time.Even more are reached by the nationalpublicity campaign that explains whydigital inclusion matters and encouragesmore people to try IT.

In 2009, DU worked with UK online

centres and ran over a thousand events.They estimate that the associatedpublicity reached more than eight millionpeople. The 2010 Silver Surfers Day willbe the largest event ever run and willinclude the active cooperation ofOFCOM, The BBC, Decca, MLA, Raceonline 2012, Age UK, NIACE, UK onlinecentres and the NHS - amongst others.

DU is one of three partners behindBeGrand.net, a website launched inJanuary 2010, that is designed to provideinformation and an online community forgrandparents. The site is funded by theDCSF as part of Family Information Direct,a programme that focuses on ndinginnovative ways to support families.

Following the government's commitment inBuilding a Society for All Ages to promote andsupport digital inclusion for older residentsin sheltered housing, Digital Unite andNIACE have recently launched a far-reachingdigital inclusion programme in theseenvironments, Get Digital. Get Digital isavailable to social landlords in England whomanage sheltered housing schemes. It isfunded by Communities and LocalGovernment (CLG) and will run until March2011. By the end of the project DU will haveworked with 195 sheltered housing schemes

to improve the digital literacy of theirresidents and provided online assistance tothe residents in a further 300 schemes.

www.digitalunite.com


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UK online centres

UK online centres was set up bygovernment in 2000 to provide publicaccess to computers. Its mission is toconnect people to digital skills andopportunities, using technology toimprove lives and life chances.

There are 6,000 UK online centres acrossEngland on high streets, in libraries,internet cafs, and community centres.Some are mobile, on buses. Many use theweb portal myguide to introduce people tothe world of ICT. Launched in October2007, the myguide website offers a free,easy to use email service and web searchfacility from a simple homepage, plus tastercourses to help people get to grips withcomputers and the internet.

Around two million people use UK onlinecentres every year, they are in 84% ofdeprived wards, around half of the peopleusing them have no formal qualications,and one-third consider themselves tohave a disability or mental health issue.

UK online centres has launched aninitiative called Pass IT On. Encouraging

people to pass on use of IT to friends,family, employees and even completestrangers. A new website developed byUK, www.helppassiton.co.uk includes theinformation and resources bothindividuals and organisations (atwww.partners.helppassiton.co.uk) need tostart passing their IT know-how on toother people.

www.ukonlinecentres.com

CareOnLine

Leicestershire County Councils CareOnLineservice provides computer and assistive

technology, training and support in olderpeoples homes. It has a comprehensivewebsite and chatroom facility developed tohelp reduce social isolation for vulnerableadults and older people provided by theCouncils Adult and Social Care Services.

It operates a website with signicant local

information, resources and a grapevinesection that provides a place to shareinformation and communicate on topics ofcommon interest. This is also a mechanismfor mutual support. Sections of the websitecover wide range of topics includinghobbies, news, sports, money advice,disability, health and social care andcommunity safety.

Since starting in 2001 it has helped over600 individuals in their own homes. It hasalso provided assistance with equipmentand training to enable 3000 people in 25sheltered housing locations, 24 social carelocations, and 12 voluntary organisationsto experience using computers.

The team is made up of four full-timeequivalent staff and has a budget ofaround 100,000 a year, withapproximately 30% coming from grants.

A 2003 evaluation found that 97% ofservice users reported a favourableexperience with the project, while 69%said that they had no prior intention toconnect to the internet and would nothave connected without it.

A key determinant of the services successis considered to be its practical, hands-onapproach providing users with the

equipment that they need, the trainingthey need to use it and ongoing support.

www.leicscareonline.org.uk/index/about_careonline.htm

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INtouch kirklees and

Looking Local

INtouch kirklees is a local digital TV sitewhich enables residents to access servicesand information electronically. Kirklees sayssome of its main motivations for developing

INtouch were: to give universal e-access to citizens,

particularly those without internetaccess or PC skills;

to increase social and digital inclusionby making use of the familiar technologyof television;

to build condence and increaseparticipation by encouraging people tocreate their own content and valuingtheir contribution;

to promote community cohesion andinvolvement by encouraging discussionbetween people who wouldn't otherwisemeet.

Kirklees believes the site has had thegreatest impact for those people who arein some sense isolated and thereforeexcluded from the community. This

applies to older people or those who havemobility problems, those who do not havePCs at home and nd it difficult to makeuse of community IT facilities due tochildcare or other caring commitments,and those who are so wary of newtechnologies that they do not have thecondence to use a computer.

INtouch has been able to remove thebarriers between these residents and IT,

helping people to take part in theircommunities regardless of theircircumstance because in those areas ofKirklees that are considered to be

disadvantaged, the take-up of digitaltelevision is high. (INtouch is available onSky, cable, and freeview boxes with a backchannel). INtouch is also available toanyone with an internet-enabled mobilephone and to anyone with a Wii.

INtouch kirklees offers over 5,000 pages

of information from Kirklees Council, otherpublic sector organisations, voluntarygroups and Kirklees residents. In additionto a range of advice and information andlocal authority service options, users cancontribute their own information, includingcreative writing, memories and personalstories, messages to a loved one and recipeideas and can participate in a virtualreading and creative writing group, run by a

volunteer, and use related library servicesand information. Kirklees believes thatbeing able to use services and shareinformation via the familiar medium oftelevision helps participants to feel morecondent in their own abilities.

DigiTV - Looking Local was set up to sharethe knowledge and experience that Kirkleesdeveloped with INtouch with other localauthorities, and to solve the problems of

technical complexity and affordability. Itprovides a range of public sectororganisations with a platform for digitalinformation services. In essence, INtouchkirklees is a customer of the Looking Localservice, in common with 120 other localauthorities, housing associations and otherpublic sector organisations.

Looking Local is a partner in the VIRTExproject. Other partners include Tunstall

Healthcare Group, housing trusts andSheffield University. VIRTEx is using digitalTV to set up a virtual community ofservice users and carers. It is also piloting


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two-way video conferencing. Itcharacterises the project as socialnetworking using digital TV.

www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/intouch/intouch.shtml

Digital Outreach

Digital Outreach is a partnership betweenAge Concern, Help the Aged, CommunityService Volunteers and CollectiveEnterprises Ltd. Its goalsare to:

Identify and support people who areexperiencing or may experience barriersor disadvantage in adopting digitaltechnologies;

Raise awareness about new digital andassistive technologies;

Provide information, assistance andresearch services to organisationswishing to increase the take-up of newtechnologies through being moreinclusive;

Provide training, expertise andknowledge services around the theme of

the use of technology in peoples homes.Digital Outreach has been commissionedto deliver the Community OutreachProgramme for the switchover fromanalogue to digital television. The DigitalSwitchover Community OutreachProgramme supports people who do notqualify for the government's SwitchoverHelp Scheme, but who nevertheless needor would like some assistance or advice in

making the switch from analogue todigital TV.

Digital Outreach considers that televisionas well as being a source of entertainment

and information, can also be a form ofcomfort or companionship to somepeople, particularly those who arehousebound or inrm. It believes that theavailability of digital TV will bring manybenets, such as more channels andadvanced features, and that it is

important that everyone knows what todo to ensure they will be able to receivedigital television after the switchover.

The organisation achieves its aims byworking with and through trustedvoluntary sector and charitableorganisations. In each region it enableslocal organisations to support older,disabled and other potentially vulnerablepeople by providing information and

speakers for events or drop-ins, trainingvolunteers and developing a network ofhelp and advice for older, disabled,vulnerable and disadvantaged people tohelp them make the switch.

In the Granada region, building on itsexperience on the Community OutreachProgramme for switchover, it has beenrunning a three-month pilot schemecalled Get Connected: Get Online aimed

at older people and people on lowincomes. It has worked with two voluntaryorganisations, one rural and one urban,Age Concern Stockport and Villages inPartnership, to run 100 events about theinternet. These have been run at places orgatherings that are familiar to the targetgroup and are delivered by trusted peoplewho are known to them.

www.digitaloutreach.org.uk

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Angus Gold

The Angus 50+ project, re-named byusers as Angus Gold, aimed to provideinformation and increase awareness, usageand uptake of IT and internet access inthe 50-plus age group. The projectdeveloped a website with the participants,and focused on the access and usabilityneeds of inexperienced and frail users.

Free IT training was delivered to smallgroups, tailored for each learner andcarried out in locations the learners feltcomfortable with, such as day centres andsheltered housing complexes. The projectalso offered a drop-in facility with support.A mobile training facility was also used.Over 700 participants have undertakenbasic computer training with a quarterprogressing to further training atcommunity college level and over a quarterpurchasing their own computers.

An evaluation of the project found that ofthose with access to a computer, 70%reported using it for email, 64% foraccessing the internet and 45% for gettinginformation. The project has successfully

targeted individuals who might face barriersto accessing training elsewhere, with 44%living alone, 40% with a chronic illness ordisabling condition and a third rarely or notalways able to get out and about. Thetraining had a less than 10% drop-out rate.

Key factors that led to success were: theage-targeted format, everyone being at asimilar level and the relaxed atmosphereand tone of the classes. All these made

the classes a welcome opportunity toestablish or widen a social network forthe participants. The training revealedunexpected levels of literacy problems

and instructors had to nd teachingmethods that avoided emphasis onreading and typing.

Participants noted that they used theirnew skills to book holidays and makesavings, to use online auction sites, buygoods online, use search engines, and for

online banking and money management.

The project also produced a smartcard fordiscounts and incentives and publications.A key object was to involve participants incommunity engagement activity. This wasachieved through Angus Gold Forums,which engaged in discussion and actionrelating to the interests and concerns ofthe participants.

The project, started in 2004, was due tonish in March 2006 but was extendedfor a further year to allow for completion.It is now embedded in the CommunityLearning and Development Service inAngus.

The project budget was just over560,000 spread over three years. Keyplayers were Angus Council, AngusCollege, Age Concern Scotland, Microsoft,

Tayside Police and NHS Tayside.Key to the success of the project has beenthe development of progression routes forparticipants; for example they can go on tobecome IT volunteers or take other trainingcourses to ensure the sustainability of thework and wider engagement (leading, forexample, to older people inuencingservice delivery in other areas).

www.angusgold.com


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Seminar participants

Will Abbott, Freesat

Duncan Brindley, Video Juicer

Richard Curry, Imperial College

Kevin Doughty, JRF Centre for Usable

Home Technology, University of YorkBlaise F Egan, BT

Anne Faulkner, UK online centres

Simon Gallimore, Inclusive Digital TV Ltd.

Rama Gheerawo, The Helen HamlynCentre, Royal College of Art

Kathleen Gillet, Counsel and Care


Rebecca King, Antigone

Claire Lilley, Which?

Sheena McDonald, BBC

Adam Oliver, BT

Emma Solomon, Digital Unite

Jonathan Sykes, Tiscali

Leonie Vlachos, Age Concern and Helpthe Aged

Simon Walker, Maidthorn Partners

Bob Warner, OFCOM

Alison Williams, Tunstall Healthcare Group

Debbie Wosskow, Maidthorn Partners

Interviewees

Kevin Carey, Humanity

Alex Carmichael, Dundee University

Sue Collins, JRF

Anne Faulkner, UK Online

Guido Gybels, RNID

Julie Howell, Fortune Cookie

Paul Cann, Age Concern Oxford

Chris Sherwood, NESTA

Emma Soloman, Digital Unite

Steve Tyler, RNIB

Kevin Doughty, Centre for Usable HomeTechnology at York University

John Gill, RNIB

Alan Newell, Dundee University

Ali Rogan, Turnstall Health Care Group

Professor Gregg Van Der Heiden,University of Wisconsin-Madison

Leonie Vlachos, Age Concern and Helpthe Aged

Professor Alan Walker, University of

Sheffield

The following individuals also providedvaluable input:Mima Cattan, Northumbria University; IanRetson, Leicestershire CareOnLine andDavid Rowland, Age Concern Liverpool.

Annex 2 Interviewees andseminar participants


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Emma Soloman - Digital Unite

Damian Radcliffe - OFCOM

Adam Oliver - BT

Brian Lamb - RNID

Leela Damodaran - Research School ofInformatics, Loughborough University

Guy Giles - Looking Local

Alan Taylor - BBC

Ben Brown- UK online centres

Kevin Doughty - Centre for Usable HomeTechnology, University of York

Paul Cann - Age Concern Oxfordshire

Kevin Johnson - Cisco

Jacques Mizan - Young FoundationAndrew Barnett - Calouste GulbenkianFoundation, UK

Luis Jeronimo - Calouste GulbenkianFoundation, Portugal

Annabel Knight - Calouste GulbenkianFoundation, UK

Annex 3 Steering group members


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1 Opportunity Age: Meeting the challenges of ageing inthe 21st century, Department of Work andPensions, (2005).

2 Our Health, Our Care, Our Say: A new direction forcommunity services, Department of Health WhitePaper (2006).

3

The Department of Health says telecare is as muchabout the philosophy of dignity and independenceas it is about equipment and services. Equipment isprovided to support the individual in their homeand tailored to meet their needs. It can be assimple as the basic community alarm service, ableto respond in an emergency and provide regularcontact by telephone. It can include detectors ormonitors such as motion or falls and re and gasthat trigger a warning to a response centre. Formore information see:www.dh.gov.uk/en/SocialCare/Deliveringadultsocialcare/Olderpeople/DH_4116208.Recent spending on the preventative technologygrant programme totalled 80 million over twoyears and 30 million has been recently beendedicated to the whole systems demonstratorprogramme and local authorities also invest intelecare without specic grant support.

4 Interview for this project with a care managerfrom Tunstall Healthcare Group, a private sectorprovider of telecare. She explained that theemphasis is generally on physical not socialneeds.

5 National Plan for Digital Participation, Departmentfor Business, Innovation and Skills (2010).

6 Digital Britain: nal report, Department of Culture,Media and Sport (2009); and National Plan forDigital Participation, see previous note.

7 OFCOM has taken the lead in the establishment

of a Digital Participation Consortium, a UK-widecoalition of government, industry and voluntarysector organisations committed to increasingdigital participation and achieving greater impact

through better coordination and encouragingcollaboration between members. For moreinformation see: www.digitalparticipation.com

8 Examples include the use of teleconferencing forbook clubs and other discussion groups currentlybeing piloted and run by Independent Ages LiveWires project, Community Network and RSVP. There

are also a number of befriending services offered byphone, such as Net Neighbours, an Age ConcernYork project in which, after a chat, befrienders take agrocery list and make orders online for older people.Independent Ages sister charity The UniversalBenecent Society (UBS) is also running a projectcalled telephone buddies. Befrienders maketelephone contact with an older person, matched tothem by interest, at least once a month.

9 Findlay, R. A. Interventions to reduce socialisolation amongst older people: where is theevidence? inAgeing and Society, 23 (2003).

10 BBC News 2004

11 www.elderlyparents.org.uk, reported atwww.saga.co.uk

12 Victor, C.R., Scambler, S. J., Bowling, A., and Bond,J., The Prevalence Of, And Risk Factors For,Loneliness In Later Life: A survey of older peoplein Great Britain,Ageing and Society, 25 (2005).

13 Victor, C.R et al (2005) see note 12, and Cattan,M., White, M., Bond, J., Learmouth, A., PreventingSocial Isolation And Loneliness Among OlderPeople: a systematic review of health promotioninterventions, Ageing and Society, 25 (2005).

14 Victor, C.R. et al (2005) see note 12.

15 One Voice: Shaping our ageing society, Age Concernand Help the Aged, (2009).

16 Ibid.

17 Ibid.

18 Out of Sight, Out of Mind: social exclusion behindclosed doors, Age Concern (2008).

References


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19 Ibid.

20 Understanding Digital Exclusion, a research reportby FreshMinds for the Department forCommunities and Local Government, (2008).

21 Allen, J., Older People and Well-Being, Institute forPublic Policy Research, (2008).

22From the discussion at our July 2009 seminar atthe RSA.

23 Putnam, R., Bowling Alone: the collapse and revivalof American community, New York: Simon &Schuster (2000).

24 Social isolation can be seen as part of a lack ofsocial capital. For the purposes of this report weare dening social capital as: the number ofpeople who can be expected to provide support

and the resources those people have at theirdisposal. This denition is drawn from Boxman, etal (1991). see:www.socialcapitalresearch.com/denition.html formore information.

25Bolam et al, Using New Media to Build SocialCapital for Health: a qualitative process evaluationstudy of participation in the citynet project,Journal of Health Psychology, 11; 297 (2006); Sum,S. et al, Internet Technology and Social Capital:

how the internet affects seniors,Social Capital andWellbeing(2008).

26Personal communication from Kevin Johnson,Cisco.

27The BBCs Canvas Project: see the BBC websitefor details.

28 The Digital Switchover Help Scheme hasdesignated that all digiboxes in phase one willhave a return path and that all people over 75 andsome people on disability benet will benet fromthe Help Scheme.

29 Case study of INtouch kirklees on the lookinglocal website: www.lookinglocal.gov.uk

30 CareOnLine Evaluation Summary byLoughborough University Ergonomics and SafetyResearch Institute (ESRI) (2003).

31 Ward, R., Ferguson, J., Murray, S., Evaluation ofthe Angus Gold Project (a partnership approachto digital education and social inclusion), RBSCentre for the Older Persons Agenda, Queen

Margaret University Research Findings, 8 (2008).

32 Introducing Another World: Older people and digitalinclusion, Age Concern and Help the Aged(2009).

33Sustaining IT Use by Older People to PromoteAutonomy and Independence, Sus-IT research(2010). Sus-IT is a large collaborative project(CRP) funded as part of the New Dynamics ofAgeing (NDA) Research Programme which is in

turn funded jointly by all ve research Councils inthe UK and led by the Economic and SocialResearch Council (ESRC). The NDA programmedirector is Professor Alan Walker at SheffieldUniversity. More information is available at:www.newdynamics.group.shef.ac.uk

34 One Voice (2009) see note 15.

35 Digital Inclusion: An analysis of social disadvantage andthe information societyDepartment of Communitiesand Local Government, (2008) and Understanding

Digital inclusion (2007) see note 20.36 Ibid.

37 Digital Communications for All ConsultationDocument OFCOM (2009). For details see:www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/access/access

38 For example, Digital Inclusion, Social Impact: Aresearch study, UK online centres (2008) showedin demonstrator models that older people withadequate support enthusiastically used IT. For

details see:www.ukonlinecentres.com/corporate/images/stories/downloads/digital_inclusion_research_report.pdf


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References

39Research commissioned by Age Concern/Helpthe Aged from ICM Research. See:www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/internet-champion-release-210909.asp

40 UK adults media literacy, 2009: An interim report,OFCOM (2009).

41

Internet Access, Households and Individuals 2009,Office of National Statistics (2009).

42Delivering digital inclusion: An action plan forconsultation, Communities and Local Government(2008).

43Media literacy audit amongst older people, OFCOM(2006).

44 Digital Lifestyles: Adults aged 60 and over, OFCOM(2009).

45The Consumer Experience, OFCOM (2009).46 Digital Lifestyles (2009) see note 44.

47 Ibid.

48 Ibid.

49 Media Literacy Audit (2006) see note 43.

50 Presentation on OFCOM research by DamianRadcliffe at our March Steering Group meeting.

51 Commentary on Computers and People with

Disabilities: Accessible computing - past trends andfuture suggestions by Alan F. Newell, ACMTransactions on Accessible Computing, Vol 1, No 2(2008).

52Personal communication from Leonie Vlachos,Digital Manager, Age Concern England.

53 Introducing Another World: Older people and digitalinclusion, Age Concern and Help the Aged (2009).

54 Olphert, C.W et al Towards Digital Inclusion

engaging older people in the digital world Papergiven at Accessible Design in the Digital WorldConference, Dundee (2005).

55Sustaining IT Use by Older People... (2010) seenote 33. Barriers recorded by this research alsoincluded: lack of condence; reluctance to engagein/lack of familiarity with trial and errorapproaches; frequent changes in hardware andsoftware; the pace of demonstrations/delivery ofinstruction and guidance is too fast; confusion

regarding the options in operating procedures;use of jargon and unfamiliar terminology; short-term memory problems; infrequent use results inproblems remembering passwords, proceduresetc; cost (including the cost of training and ofupdating software including virus protection);design issues - the lack of standardisation ofinterfaces; concerns about security.

56 Older People and Communications Technology,Communications Consumer Panel 2006 cited in

Age Concern and Help the Aged One Voice(2009) see note 15.

57 Ibid.

58 Introducing another world (2009) se

older people, technology andcommunity

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