Table of Contents
Ageing Better resources
Examples of what we know about digital technology and ageing better, and who is sharing resources, originally prepared December 2014 by David Wilcox david@socialreporter.com.
Update: reports and blog posts about the Ageing Better exploration are now on the mediablends wiki
As part of my exploration into innovation for ageing better I’ve listed some examples of reports, sites, and blog posts showing there’s plenty of research into digital tech for a better later life - and many devices, systems and apps being developed.
Innovation funders like NESTA and Nominet Trust have identified and supported a host of innovative projects … and sites like MyAgeingParent as well as the larger ageing and digital inclusion organisations offer advice for those seeking personal solutions.
However, these resources are scattered, and finding something useful beyond the basics can be challenging, whether you are researching a topic, aiming to develop a project or just discover an app or device useful for you, or for an older friend or relative.
Shirley Ayres, in a paper for the Nominet Trust, highlighted the need for better ways to collaborate, signpost, and share knowledge as I quoted in an earlier exploration. Shirley wrote in March 2013:
There is so much potential for digital technology to enable people to make new connections, contribute to person-centred support, develop community networks and new models of care so an obvious question is what is stopping more widespread adoption?
>There is no shortage of innovations in digital technology and millions of pounds are being spent supporting further developments. It is less clear about the application, impact and usage of these innovations. One problem is the limited awareness in the sector and amongst the public about what is available and it’s value. I believe that a big deficit is the lack of a strategic approach to embedding digital technology in the range of options to support people to live more fulfilling lives.
And proposed:
- Convene a roundtable for all the funders of digital technology to explore collaboration, sharing practice and a common approach to evaluating and promoting the outcomes and impacts of their investment.
- Provide signposts which enable care recipients, their families and carers to find out what technology products and services are available, both through statutory services or to purchase independently.
- Create, promote and participate in events that showcase innovations in care which could be adopted by local authorities, the NHS and housing providers.
- Map all of the digital community hubs (however defined) which are available to ensure that people have access to local resources. This would also identify areas where there is currently no support available.
- Benchmark levels of awareness about technology innovations across the care sector and work with key players to promote and share the benefits of innovation.
Unfortunately I don’t think much of that has happened, as I’ve discovered in this exploration.
Even substantial official investigations and funding programmes fail to acknowledge the role of technology. The House of Lords Committee on Public Service and Demographic Change had almost nothing on technology despite fairly substantial submissions. That was in March 2013 … but by the end of 2014 the £82 million Big Lottery Fund Ageing Better programme is still not promoting either digital innovation or knowledge sharing. The most hopeful sign of concerted policy action is the Grey Cells initiative from the Department for Communities and Local Government, referenced below. At the personal level, Shirley Ayres does an extraordinarily useful job as a freelance.
John Popham deserves a special mention for just getting out there and doing stuff with older people, and writing and shooting video. I like John’s idea for helping people share their life stories.
At this point I’ve just pulled together resources from my Ageing Better bookmarks and elsewhere, in order to illustrate how much is going on, and how difficult it may be to find stuff.
In general I find that research, guides and project news becomes useful when it enters conversation - whether at a meeting, or in online exchanges. At the moment I think there are relatively limited exchanges; or rather, there may be exchanges between academics and researchers, but they probably aren’t up to date on what’s happening on the ground. Practitioners don’t know what people are doing in different localities. I’ve a hunch that funders don’t know in any detail who is funding what.
Examples of resources about technology innovation and Ageing Better
The NESTA framework, map and challenge fund
The UK innovation agency NESTA has developed a framework for supporting innovation in ageing, a living map of projects, and an ageing well challenge fund. Here’s the NESTA site and a blog post I wrote about the report and NESTA’s approach. The Living Map categorises projects in relation, for example, to care, dementia, health, isolation, and technology.
Nominet Trust support for innovation
The Nominet Trust has compiled the Social Tech Guide “to recognise the pioneers who are using digital technology to make a real difference to millions of lives”, including a section on health.
The Trust’s Knowledge Centre details research and projects that the Trust has supported, including work on older people, well-being, and life transitions.
Digital engagement - how to help older people use technology
The SUS-IT research project explored in depth how to help older people engage with technology, and developed the equation: a hook of compelling reasons and interests + encouragement and companionship in learning + support = digital engagement. The report led to proposals for a network of local learning centres, and generated a wide range of outputs listed here. For practical support:
- Digital Unite provides a range of free guides
- The Tinder Foundation offers Learn My Way
- AgeUK explains how to make the most of the Internet
The New Dynamic of Ageing programme
The New Dynamics of Ageing Programme is a eight year multidisciplinary research initiative with the ultimate aim of improving quality of life of older people. It is a unique collaboration between five UK research councils. See the projects and findings section for some tech-related initiatives.
The Grey Cells initiative
An open policy initiative started by the Department for Communities and Local Government, but suspended after the May 2015 election by the new Government.
- Joining up the Grey Cells – Open Policy Making Blog
- "Elders as Assets" event outcomes – highlighting the massive and positive contribution that older people can and do make to local communities
- "Elders as Assets – making the connection" – outlining some excellent resources that are available including the current “Grey Cells resource pack”
- "Grey Cells Connections Database" – used to reference over 400 local digital-related case studies and good practice
Ageing and the use of the internet
This publication sets out research into how the internet is, and can be, used to support those over 65 as well as highlighting the mechanisms, themes and social situations that best enable this group to benefit from the internet. By doing so, it sets out a number of ways in which we can look to develop new approaches to supporting people over the age of 65 to get online in a sustained and meaningful way. Nominet Trust 2013
Online innovation and social care
Digital technology for a better later life
This set of pages reports an open exploration, on behalf of the Nominet Trust, into how we can use digital technology later in life, and also some ideas that flowed from that. During the exploration the team gathered ideas and resources on an open document and ideas platform, ran a workshop, and wrote a series of blog posts. A visual bookmark of discovered resources was created (and still maintained) on Pearltrees.
How digital technology may help combat loneliness
The Campaign to End Loneliness ran a workshop: Technology: will it ever be a ‘fix’ for loneliness? that yielded advice on helping older people adopt technology that might be helpful, and a report that included a range of tools and activities.
Study finds social media use beneficial to overall health of elderly
Guardian reports on findings of the the Ages 2.0 project
Integrate digital inclusion and digital innovation
Tony Watts, a writer and chair of the SouthWest Forum on Ageing, explains in his keynote to the Ages 2.0 conference how integrating digital innovation for healthcare, and actions to support digital innovation, could have dual benefits.
The Silver Economy
In The Silver Economy: Tech sector taps surge of connected boomers the Financial Times reports on growing adoption of the Internet by over-55s, the social networks they use, and the tools that are available.
Ideas from challenge funds supporting innovation in ageing
- The NESTA Ageing Well challenge in 2012-13 produced a host of ideas, some using digital technology
- The Australian innovation in ageing challenge supported projects on how to enable older people to connect, contribute to their communities and live the lives they want.
Age-friendly communities
«««< HEAD
[The earlier set of resources](https://goo.gl/Oopm5i) contains links to a wide range of initiatives.
This earlier set of resources contains links to a wide range of initiatives.
3c0fe7a01b9a2595cfe72d7c81cdedf32509b51a
#### Connecting care: advice for organisations and individuals The Connecting Care project, supported by the Department for Health, provides tech advice for social care providers and also a round-up of specialist personal care networks and tools that help people keep connected with family and friends.
Community engagement in health and well-being resources Resource collection by Roz Davies
Advice on personal technology from UK and US sites
- The MyAgeingParent site has an extensive section on the best technology for older people, covering devices, apps, and safety online.
- The new SilverSurfers network also has a technology section
- The US Seniornet blog suggests a range of apps and devices for older people
A quick search on apps and seniors shows how much is available for Android and iOS - something I’ll return to later.