dtlater

"Older people have the lowest levels of internet-take up, in stark contrast to highly connected younger age groups. For the digitally excluded, a number of barriers can compound each other, from cost to ability to interest. This research finds that universal internet take-up won't be achieved overnight, but nevertheless investing in the digitally excluded has long term benefits for both citizens and government."

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

Ideas for how technology can help older people stay active, stay in touch, stay informed, stay productive, be entertained.

"This publication sets out the latest 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."

This site gives older people's voices a platform. We hope to highlight their experiences, resilience and ability to flourish across a century of huge change. And we want to find out what they can teach us about mutual support and positive thinking.

"The erosion of social capital, and increasing levels of social isolation are widely recognised phenomena in our society. Older people are particularly likely to admit to feeling lonely, and social isolation is known to have a significant impact on older people's physical and mental wellbeing. Many older people particularly value local services that provide them with opportunities for regular social contact. However, we are currently witnessing a significant decline in many of these local services such as libraries, post offices and lunch clubs. More than 2,500 post offices have closed and 5,000 small shops have disappeared in the past six years. At the same time, many statutory and third sector services are currently under threat from local authority budgetary cuts. The private sector could do much to provide non-specialised local settings and opportunities for older people to remain connected with their communities. However, thus far there has been little investigation into how private companies might contribute to social cohesion in this way. This project will identify ways that private companies can make use of their local presence and existing operating models to generate new social opportunities for older people."

"Mention loneliness and most people, whatever their age, seem to think about older people. We have, it seems, an archetypal image of someone frail, elderly, scared to go out and living - perhaps struggling - on their own: a lonely old person. Loneliness is certainly a complicating factor for many older people. Across all four neighbourhoods participating in our three-year action research programme, exploring neighbourhood approaches to loneliness, issues relating to getting and being older 'score' most highly. 'Being older' tops the list of 74 groups of themes collated by our researchers from the hundreds of factors contributing to loneliness identified by local people during extensive fieldwork."

"The world is growing old fast. In the next 10 years, the number of people over age 60 will surpass one billion. Ageing in the Twenty-First Century: A Celebration and A Challenge, is a landmark new report published by UNFPA and HelpAge. It makes the case for governments, NGOs, global institutions, and civil society to fully commit to a concerted global effort to realign 21st century society to fit the realities of 21st century demographics."

"nef's 'Five ways to well-being': nef 's centre for well-being has developed a set of five evidence-based actions that, if practised regularly, can improve personal well-being. Connect With the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day. Be Active Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy; one that suits your level of mobility and fitness. Take Notice Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are on a train, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you. Keep Learning Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident, as well as being fun to do. Give Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and will create connections with the people around you.

"The Age Action Alliance is an independent partnership of organisations which has adopted a new approach to the challenges of ageing, focused very clearly on finding practical solutions to improve the lives of older people."

"The Age Action Alliance is an independent partnership of organisations which has adopted a new approach to the challenges of ageing, focused very clearly on finding practical solutions to improve the lives of older people."

"A plan to create an online "knowledge base" of resources relating to digital inclusion for older people is being drawn up by Age Action Alliance, an umbrella group of companies and charities led by the Department for Work and Pensions. The alliance, whose members include the BBC, Microsoft, mobile network Three, Age UK and the digital inclusion charity for older people Digital Unite, has tasked a working group with drawing up a "starter strategy" for the knowledge base covering its potential usefulness, purpose and viability. It will then make a final decision on whether to go ahead with the project at the next meeting of its digital inclusion group in February."

"This is the place to get up to speed with the technology that can help enrich your life.  Whether you'd like to improve your computer skills, emailing, use of the internet or generally to boost your digital confidence, our simple guides are here to help. They're free, print-friendly and also a great way to support other learners."

"AN ARMY of internet-savvy pensioners should be employed to help get millions of elderly people online to prevent them becoming increasingly isolated, an influential Tory think tank has suggested." The report is from Policy Exchange

"As patients' interaction with the health service increasingly moves online, it is easy to assume that the voices of the elderly will be lost along the way. But in this week's Scrubbing Up, Dr Paul Hodgkin of the feedback site Patient Opinion, says social media channels are not just for the young."

Anecdotes and discussion in the Manchester United forum

"This report has been written to complement the State of the Art Literature Review on Older People and the Internet, commissioned by Nominet Trust and published in October 2011. We have been particularly motivated to consider directions in which activity and policy should move in order to help ensure that as many older people as possible can become successful internet users. To help reflect on our own experiences of working in the field of older people and ICT and to distil these experiences into the opinions expressed in this report, we spoke to over 15 older technology users of varying levels of experience. We make no attempt to present this consultation as engaging with a representative sample of older people, but instead use this engagement to provoke our own thoughts into the directions where research and policy might best be headed. We also spoke to a number of senior research colleagues working in the same field, and while their views are reflected in some of the content of this report, ultimately what we present is our own articulation of the challenges we face and the directions we can take."

""The potential of iPads to benefit seniors cannot be understated," Dan Cohen, a social worker who founded Apps for All, writes via E-mail. "To my surprise (and delight!), the most beneficial aspect of apps is the creation of a new common ground between older persons, their children, and their grandchildren ... The key to success with the iPad is to identify apps of interest to seniors, not razzle-dazzling them with one's favorite apps. What is (or was) their favorite hobby, interest, sport? Zoom into Google Earth's aerial view, or Mapquest's street view of their childhood home and school and you'll bring a smile to their face.""

"The Campaign to End Loneliness is a coalition of organisations and individuals working together through research, policy, campaigning and innovation to combat loneliness and inspire individuals to keep connected in older age in the UK."

"I would like to introduce you to just a few examples of exciting and cost effective innovations which could be promoted by local authorities. Many more example are included in my forthcoming eBook "The Click Guide to Digital Technology for Care""

"With our very nice friends at the Nominet Trust, we're asking what are gransnetters' big worries about the future? Being ill, needing care, getting lonely etc? (Yes, I know, bundle of laughs, but there is an upside....) We're also asking how technology has helped you, not necessarily with anything to do with getting older, which we're all doing, but just how it's improved your life. "