Australian Population & Migration Research Centre Policy Brief Vol. 1, No. 8 August, 2013 By Helen Feist and Kelly McDougall OLDER PEOPLE S USE OF NEW COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES: Research Findings & Policy Implications New communication technologies are underutilised by older people but given the right equipment, support and advice the use of new technologies enhances social connections, improves perceived health and increases access to information for older people which all help to enable ageing well. The results of this study show self-rated health, satisfaction with community, access to information and the ability to stay in touch with family and friends all improved after participants were introduced to, and assisted in learning to use, their chosen new technology. What is the issue? Demographic changes leading to the ageing of our populations have occurred at the same time as rapid changes in technology and technological capabilities 1. Technology has become an integral part of every-day life for many people. It will continue to become even more integrated into aspects of society including work, education, service delivery, communication and social activities in the future 2. Adoption and use of new technologies are dependent on many things, and age has been found to have a great influence 2,3,4. Previous research has shown new communication technologies such as the Internet, computers, tablets and mobile phones are underutilised by older people, a population group that can potentially benefit from them the most. New technologies provide a forum for communication, regardless of location, that can help offset loneliness and isolation issues. Importantly, new communication technologies empower people by allowing for access to What the background data says The Internet is becoming a ubiquitous means of accessing information and communicating with other people worldwide. In Australia, Internet use declines with age3. Figure 1 shows some population groups are more affected by the information, regardless of level of mobility. As society as a whole, including service organisations that provide care to ageing populations, move to become increasingly digitised in their distribution of information and services, it is crucial that older people are not left behind. Although the uptake of new technologies by older people is increasing over time, there is still significant room for improvement. This policy brief describes results of a pilot study which enabled the use of new technologies by older people which formed part of the Linking Rural Older People to Community through Technology (LROP) project*. The results of this study show self-rated health, satisfaction with community, access to information and the ability to stay in touch with family and friends all improved after participants were introduced to, and assisted in learning to use, their chosen new technology. digital divide. There is an inverse relationship between age and internet connectivity; nearly 45% of Australians aged 85+ do not have access to the Internet at home compared with just 7% of the population aged less than 55. Above *The Linking Rural Older People to Community Through Technology project was a three year, multi-phase project funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and managed by the Murray Mallee Aged Care Group Inc., a community aged care service provider based in Murray Bridge. Researchers from APMRC at the University of Adelaide carried out the research.
Figure 1: No household internet access by select characteristics, Australia, 2011 Source: ABS Census data 2011 based on place of enumeration Live outside of capital cities Household income <$200/week Lone person household Age 85+ Age 55+ Age < 55 Total Australia Population 0 10 20 30 40 50 % with NO internet access at home average rates of no internet connection are also apparent for people living in lone person households, who have a low income and for those who live outside of capital city areas indicating a socioeconomic divide. Older people are more likely to live alone and to have a lower household income compared to younger groups, illustrating the multiple divides that exist in accessing new technologies for older people. Not only are older people less likely to access the Internet, previous research has shown older people who do use the Internet use it with less intensity, have less confidence in their abilities and are less likely to feel the impact of using the What are the barriers? Some challenges associated with growing older including cognition, memory, hearing and eyesight issues, do impact on take up rates of new technologies 6 ; these factors are compounded by a lack of previous exposure to ICT and a lack of confidence. It has been suggested that older people have had a lack of exposure to technology in their formative years and their experiences with technologies are generally limited to more mechanised forms 7. This means older people are less likely to feel relaxed and confident about using new technologies. Some research has claimed that exposure to new technologies influences uptake and older people are less likely to adapt to new technologies because they are more likely to live alone (or with other older people) rather than Internet is positive compared to people younger in age5. Additionally there are differences in rates of use of new technologies within the broader group of older people, for example while the current generation of older people (aged 65+ years) has low rates of Internet adoption, the next generation of older people (55 to 64 years) has a much higher rate of Internet use. This is partly driven by familiarity with new technologies through work and through living with younger family members who are high users of new technologies. Importantly, they will carry that experience and familiarity with them into older age. with other, younger, family members 8. Older people are also less likely to have experienced new technologies in the work place, and to have left the educational system before new technologies were introduced 9. The financial cost has also been cited as a contributing factor to slower uptake of newer technologies. A study undertaken by researchers at APMRC looking at technology use of older people in the metropolitan Charles Sturt LGA a identified the following major barriers for some older people in accessing ICTs: a Hugo G, McDougall K, Feist H, Coutts P. (2013) New Information Technologies and the Elderly: Practice, Problems, Potential: A Case Study of Charles Sturt. Report for the Charles Sturt Council.
I want to keep up with modern technology so I don't feel left behind, and can understand what my grandchildren and my children are talking about when they start talking about the latest. Cost Denial of need/lack of interest Fear: of doing things wrong and/or not being able to access help when needed Another important barrier to using ICTs generally is lack of adequate assistance for both new and more experiences users. An ABS report on adult learning from 2007 10 shows that the vast majority of Internet users of all ages acquire their skills informally; that is they are either self-taught or they learn with the assistance of family and friends rather than a formalised structured course or lessons. There are many advantages to informal learning as it tends to be more relevant to what the user is most interested in learning and is inexpensive or free. Previous studies have also found informal support to be suitable to many older learners because of the ability to individualise support to The technology intervention. The purpose of LROP pilot study was to enable, observe and record personal interaction with new technologies within the study population, in order to explore the potential relationship between new technologies and connections to community networks for rural older people. The pilot program involved 48 participants who were provided with their choice of a laptop computer or an Apple ipad, 3G Internet connection and self-directed, personalised tuition and ongoing support for a period of 12 months. Measures of participants comfort with technologies, attitudes to new technologies, satisfaction with community interactions and self-rated health were taken before and after participation in the pilot program to determine any differences in these measures before and after the technology intervention. Why be involved? Understanding the motivations behind participants involvement in the pilot program was important from both a research point of view and in assisting researchers in designing the pilot program to help participants realize their goals. Some of the reasons people wanted to be involved in the program were as follows: meet the needs of the older person and people are not forced to learn things they aren t interested in 11. The rate of adoption of new technologies is also related to attitudes towards new technologies which are influenced by current circumstances (such as health and the ability to afford the expense of engaging with new technologies) and previous experiences. Participants in the LROP study facing barriers in accessing and using new technologies agreed with the following statements: new technologies are changing too fast for me to keep up new technologies are too complex for me to use I am too old to learn about new technologies. I want to keep up with modern technology so I don't feel left behind, and can understand what my grandchildren and my children are talking about when they start talking about the latest. Keeping the brain active. To know what the grandchildren are talking about. Not to be left behind with modern technology. Being able to send and receive emails. Use the Internet. What were meaningful activities? The value of personal relevance is a major driver for the successful adoption of new 9, 12, 13, 14 technologies. Email was the single most popular activity of LROP pilot participants, but participants were also keen to use programs such as Google Maps to look at the places their children and family live, to locate their original family homes where they grew up and to look at potential holiday locations. Viewing family and holiday photos, sending each other jokes via email and participating in the pilot study on-line footy tipping competition and on-line ipad Words with Friends group also became regular activities. Researchers noted an increase in intergenerational communication and
interaction as children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren encouraged participants with emails and helped to trouble shoot problems in between classes. Did it make a difference? Both the LROP and the Charles Sturt studies undertaken by APMRC identified similar findings when it comes to the benefits and of using ITCs for older people including: Feeling more independent Feeling better informed Retaining closer contact with family and friends It is clear that positive attitudes towards new technologies increased among participants after the LROP pilot program (see Figure 2). The statements: new technologies are very useful to me and new technologies make it easier to stay in touch with my family and friends were widely agreed with after participants took part in the pilot program. The proportion of participants agreeing with negative statements about new technologies also decreased after taking part in the program. In addition to increased positive attitudes towards new technologies and improved levels Figure 2: Changes in attitudes towards new technologies, pre and post pilot Source: LROP 2012 I can see no use for new technologies in my life of comfort and confidence using new technologies, there was an increase in perceptions of feeling connected to community. Participant s satisfaction with their level of community involvement increased from 85 per cent before the pilot to over 95 per cent after the pilot. After the pilot program over 90 per cent of participants agreed with the statement the Internet helps me find useful information compared to 60 per cent who agreed with this before the pilot program. Participants were also much more likely to agree with the statements: I feel confident searching the World Wide Web for information and I feel confident communicating with others through the Internet after the pilot program. An important result was a marked increase in the proportion of participants who rated their health as excellent/very good; from 16 per cent before the pilot to over 40 per cent after the pilot. This illustrates the positive effect being engaged and included through the use of new technologies may have on health and well-being for older people. New technologies are too expensive for me I am too old to learn about new technologies New technology is changing too fast for me to keep up New technologies are too complex for me to use I would use new technologies if they were easier to use I would use new technologies more if my family and friends used them I would use new technologies more if I had more advice and support I would use new technologies more if I had opportunities for training New technologies make it easy to stay in touch with family and friends I use new technologies to make life easier New technologies are very useful to me Pre-test Post-test 0 20 40 60 80 100 Percent
Percent Percent 100 95 90 85 80 75 Figure 3: Per cent respondents satisfied with their level of community involvement, pre and post pilot Source: LROP 2012 Pre-pilot Post-pilot In addition to increased satisfaction with community involvement and improved selfrated health, 89 per cent of pilot participants stated that their access to community information had improved and 72 per cent What are the implications? Results from the LROP pilot study show older people s attitudes towards, and confidence using, new technologies can change given the right assistance and support, and using new technologies can lead to improved health, wellbeing and feelings of social inclusion. Other literature concurs with these findings, for example Magnusson et al. (p.229) 6 states: Older people s negative attitudes towards using ICT services can potentially be modified if they receive appropriate training that both meets their individual learning needs and which focuses on the direct potential benefits of the ICT service as a support to them in their own home. Appropriate training and use of ICTs increases self-esteem, improves well-being and Figure 4: Self-rated health, pre and post pilot Source: LROP 2012 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Excellent/Very Good Good Pre-pilot Fair/Poor said their ability to stay in touch with family and friends had improved suggesting that the new technology had impacted to some extent on their sense of connection to their social networks and local community. Post-pilot reducing social isolation through increasing social networks and strengthening intergenerational ties. 6, 7, 9, 12, 15 This study supports previous findings by suggesting that once older people are introduced to new technologies their levels of adoption can be as high as younger cohorts. The key is ensuring that older people are introduced to devices that are user friendly, appropriate to personal needs, that training and support are aimed at meeting personal requirements and styles of learning, and that ongoing support is offered, preferably on an informal basis, within the local community. These results suggest that there is indeed an untapped market for both ICT training and support for older people through local community groups, especially in rural areas. 89 per cent of pilot participants stated that their access to community information had improved and 72 per cent said their ability to stay in touch with family and friends had improved.
Recommendations Recommendation One: Specifically designed ICT education and support programs targeted at older individuals with small social networks, to help in alleviating social isolation and poorer health by strengthening their sense of connectedness to family, friends and community. Recommendation Two: The development of try before you buy programs that offer older people a gentle introduction to new technologies in a non-threatening environment such as a drop in system at a community centre or library or short introductory courses that allows older people to use their selected technology and receive basic introductory training for several weeks, to allow older people to approach the purchase and adoption of new technologies with more confidence. Recommendation Three: Provision of financial support for seniors for upgrading and maintaining their devices and/or attending ICT classes; along with financial subsidies for Internet connections (similar to current subsidies for telephone, council rates etc.) would go a long way towards supporting interaction with ICTs for older people. It is suggested that a small technology bonus for eligible seniors every five years, similar to the baby bonus scheme would allow older people to maintain and upgrade their devices, pay for the classes and support they require, and maintain Internet services. Recommendation Four: There is a need for Internet providers to have clear and simplified explanations of their service plans and for assistance to be available for older people to physically set up devices to be Internetready. Recommendations when developing programs to enable the use of new technologies by older people: Start with simple, meaningful activities like using email Have regular meetings, especially when first learning Use a self-directed and work-at-your-own-pace approach Keep group size small around three learners per tutor Benefits of group learning include social interaction, learning from peers Benefits of one-on-on learning at home include learning in situ where the device will most often be used In Conclusion Utilising the advantages that new technologies offer in communication, service delivery and social connectedness means the ageing society can become part of the information society. As researchers, policy makers and service providers it is important that we do not embrace ageist beliefs about older people being unable to learn and unwilling to adopt new technologies. We should consider and promote the potential roles new technologies could play in supporting and enhancing positive ageing experiences for the current generation of older people and the future generations of older people.
References 1. Bernard M, Phillips J. The Challenge of Ageing in Tomorrow's Britain. Ageing and Society. 2000;20:33-54. 2. Czaja S, Schulz R. Innovations in Technology and Aging. Generations. 2006;Summer, 2006:6-8. 3. ABS. Australian Social Trends: Internet Access at Home. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics2009 Cat. No. 4102.0. 4. Lenhart A. Adults and Social Network Websites: Pew Internet & American Life Project 2009 January 14th, 2009. 5. ACMA. Use of Digital Media and Communication by Older Australians. Communications report 2011-12 Canberra: Australian Communications and Media Authority, Austrailan Government; 2012. 6. Magnusson L, Hanson E, Borg M. A Literature Review Study of Information and Communication Technology as a Support for Frail Older People Living at Home and their Family Carers. Technology & Disability. 2004;16:223-35. 7. Dickinson A, Goodman J, Syme A, Eisma R, Tiwari L, Mival O, Newell A. Domesticating Technology. In-Home Requirements Gathering with Frail Older People, Conference Proceedings HCI; UK2003. 8. Selwyn N. Apart from technology: understanding people s non-use of information and communication technologies in everyday life. Technology in Society. [doi: 10.1016/S0160-791X(02)00062-3]. 2003;25(1):99-116. 9. Selwyn N, Gorard S, Furlong J, Madden L. Older Adults' Use of Information and Communications Technology in Everyday Life. Ageing & Society. 2003;23:561-82. 10. ABS. Adult Learning Australia: 2006-2007. Australian Bureau of Statistics2007 Cat. No. 4229.0. 11. Hugo G, Feist H, Parker K. Linking Rural Older People to Community Through Technology: Final Report. Canberra: Department of Health and Ageing2012. 12. Andersson N, Hanson E, Magnusson L. Views of Family Carers and Older People of Information Technology. British Journal of Nursing. 2002;11(12):827-31. 13. Tacken M, Marcellini F, Mollenkopf H, Ruoppila I, Szeman Z. Use and Acceptance of New Technology by Older People. Findings of the International MOBILATE Survey: 'Enhancing Mobility in Later Life'.. Journal of Gerontechnology. 2005;3(3):126-37. 14. White H, McConnell E, Clipp E, Branch L, Sloane R, Pieper C, Box T. A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Psychosocial Impact of Providing Internet Training and Access to Older Adults. Ageing & Mental Health 2002;6(3):213-21. 15. Coughlin J. Technology Needs of Aging Boomers. Issues in Science and Technology. 1999;Fall, 1999:53-60. Edited by Arusyak Sevoyan Australian Population and Migration Research Centre http://www.adelaide.edu.au/apmrc/ School of Social Sciences Room G17, Ground Floor, Napier Building The University of Adelaide South Australia 5005 Telephone +61 8 8313 3900; Fax: +61 8 8313 3498