Published on mediablends 8/06/2015

Summary: Age Action Alliance is supporting development of a cross-topic learning network on Living Well in the Digital Age following our exploration.

• Report of the exploration into Living Well in the Digital Age with Age Action Alliance

I wrote earlier about our plans for local Living Labs, exploring the use of maps, apps and storytelling to help address loneliness and social isolation. We had a great response from members of the Age Action Alliance working group on the topic, keen to explore the potential of digital technology and other innovative methods.

The Alliance has a wide range of groups on themes including creative arts, healthy workplaces, age friendly environments, safe homes, and transport, as well as digital inclusion. Most are likely to find technology on their agenda, as we suggested here.

So after checking in with a few group chairs, and encouragement from the excellent Secretariat, we are launching a cross-topic network. Here's the item from today's newsletter to members:

“This will be a new-style group for AAA, building on the exploration into Living Well in the Digital Age, undertaken by David Wilcox and colleagues with the Digital Inclusion Group. The network will:

• Operate across topic groups to help take forward ideas from the exploration, particularly for addressing social isolation and developing stronger, age-friendly communities
• Support practical learning among members in the use of digital tools and network methods
• Identify opportunities for specific initiatives in association with other groups

“The network will be mainly virtual, and largely self-managing. It won't have formal committee meetings, but will have creative sessions and opportunities to meet informally. There won't be lots of emails and papers - but members will be asked to try more recent online communication methods. It will be an exploration into working in the digital age”.

Once we have some members, we'll identify initial themes to explore, what online methods to use, and when to have some get-togethers.

If you are interested in joining the network, do get in touch. Contact details here.

Since the Alliance have been so helpful, we'll also suggest anyone interested joins AAA too. It's free, and there are lots of other benefits.

At present we don't have any funding for the network, so we'll be looking for a fair amount of mutual support … which is partly what the digital age is about anyway.