Older people’s news dependency and social connectedness

2021 ◽  
pp. 1329878X2110064
Author(s):  
Caroline Fisher ◽  
Sora Park ◽  
Jee Young Lee ◽  
Kate Holland ◽  
Emma John
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
News Media ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Older Citizens

Social isolation has become a growing issue, particularly among older citizens. The ‘digital divide’ has been identified as one of the contributing factors leaving many older citizens behind. While increasing digital literacy among seniors has been identified as one of the remedies, less attention has been paid to the role of news media on the wellbeing and connectedness of older people. Through the lens of the uses and gratifications theory, this article reports on the findings of a survey of 562 news consumers aged 50 years and above who live in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The analysis highlights the important role of news in reducing feelings of social isolation, particularly for those who spend more time alone and older people with cognitive impairment. Older participants who had difficulty concentrating and learning new tasks were also more dependent on news. We suggest this is due to the habitual, predictable and concise nature of news. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of news in the wellbeing of older people and point to the need for policymakers and those in the aged care sector to ensure access to news for older citizens to improve the quality of life.

scholarly journals DEVELOPING A NEW FEDERAL POLICY AGENDA TO ADDRESS SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S601-S601
Author(s):  
Andrew MacPherson
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Federal Policy ◽  
Health Plans ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Community Based Organizations ◽  
Patient Groups ◽  
Policy Solutions

Abstract The Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness convenes a diverse group of allied stakeholders, including consumer and patient groups, health plans, community-based organizations, private sector researchers and innovators, and others, to address the epidemic of social isolation and loneliness. The Coalition is developing and advocating for bipartisan federal policy solutions to provide individuals the support they need to be socially engaged. This session will describe the role of the Coalition in engaging stakeholders, promoting innovative research, and advocating for policy changes that combat the adverse consequences of social isolation and loneliness and advance approaches and practices that improve social connectedness for all Americans.

Over the rainbow: direct payments and social inclusion

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jed Donoghue ◽  
Chris Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Direct Payments ◽  
The Impact

This paper examines the impact of direct payments on social isolation. We define what social isolation means, and then evaluate the role of direct payments in the provision of social services in the United Kingdom. Social isolation is a particular problem for older people. In Australia there are an increasing number of older residents who are isolated, but would benefit from having greater choice in terms of how they access and receive social services. Increased access to direct payments could help to reduce waiting lists for traditional social services and address gaps in service provision. What is known about the topic?International research indicates that in some cases direct payments or self-directed service provision helps to reduce social isolation. What does this paper add?The authors argue that based on the available evidence, a system incorporating direct payments would have health benefits for older adults living in the community. What are the implications for practitioners?The paper concludes by suggesting that directs payments have the capacity to reduce social isolation in Australia.

Planning for the redevelopment after a fire event

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 344-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew MacKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Fire Event ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Influences

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of planners and designers in supporting residents to negotiate the challenges of rebuilding after wildfire on the urban fringe. The research seeks to understand how planning and design professionals, in providing professional services, comprehend the changing expectations of residents transitioning from emergency to the slow process of achieving a post fire normal state through the project of redesigning their homes. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses semi-structured interviews to examine the role of planners and designers employed to facilitate and assess, or provide design services for residents who rebuilt houses after the 2003 bushfires in Canberra, Australia’s Capital City. Narrative analysis was used to identify emerging themes based on their professional experiences during the redevelopment of the suburb. Findings Case analysis shows that external influences were significant contributing factors in determining the design of houses rebuilt after the fires. The goal for both the designers and residents was to design a more sustainable built form; however, this was not achieved as external social and cultural influences came into the decision-making process. Practical implications The paper provides a different perspective on the competing goals planners and designers face in supporting residents to rebuild after disasters such as wild fires. It highlights the changing nature of the relationship between professionals and community. In particular, the research suggests planners can play an important role as observers and facilitators of long-term change occurring in the years after wildfire. The research provides insights into how planners and building designers may better serve the community by gaining a better understanding of the changing nature of redevelopment over time. Originality/value The research provides a novel approach to understanding the challenges facing planners and building designers working with residents to rebuild houses after wildfire. The paper makes the case for a better understanding of the temporal dynamics and external influences affecting decision making in post disaster redevelopment of homes.

scholarly journals Guidance for Research on Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Participation Among Older People: Lessons From a Mixed Methods Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 160940691987291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Dare ◽  
Celia Wilkinson ◽  
Robert Donovan ◽  
Johnny Lo ◽  
Marie-Louise McDermott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
The City

This article provides methodological guidance to researchers wishing to develop collaborative research projects with local governments and other agencies, by describing the process adopted in a mixed methods study conducted in the City of Wanneroo (the City), a local government area in Perth, Western Australia. The study explored factors related to older people’s (60+ years) participation in community-based activities and links between their participation and levels of social isolation, loneliness, and social connectedness. The research incorporated four interrelated stages: (1) an audit of existing programs in the City and program participant characteristics; (2) focus groups with program participants and interviews with nonparticipants; (3) a cross-sectional survey to assess factors associated with participation and links to social isolation, loneliness, and social connectedness; (4) face-to-face interviews with survey respondents screened at risk for loneliness. Methodological recommendations are provided to guide future collaborative research with local authorities, program developers, and administrators, aimed at minimizing social isolation and loneliness among older people. These include the need for clear communication and documentation of mutually agreed research objectives and responsibilities from project initiation to completion, identifying and working with local agencies to maximize recruitment among “hard to reach” groups, understanding the dimensions of loneliness addressed in the selected instrument used to screen for loneliness, and integrating innovative data collection techniques when working with vulnerable groups such as socially isolated older people.

scholarly journals Robotics to Enable Older Adults to Remain Living at Home

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan J. Pearce ◽  
Brooke Adair ◽  
Kimberly Miller ◽  
Elizabeth Ozanne ◽  
Catherine Said ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Robotic Devices ◽  
At Home

Given the rapidly ageing population, interest is growing in robots to enable older people to remain living at home. We conducted a systematic review and critical evaluation of the scientific literature, from 1990 to the present, on the use of robots in aged care. The key research questions were as follows: (1) what is the range of robotic devices available to enable older people to remain mobile, independent, and safe? and, (2) what is the evidence demonstrating that robotic devices are effective in enabling independent living in community dwelling older people? Following database searches for relevant literature an initial yield of 161 articles was obtained. Titles and abstracts of articles were then reviewed by 2 independent people to determine suitability for inclusion. Forty-two articles met the criteria for question 1. Of these, 4 articles met the criteria for question 2. Results showed that robotics is currently available to assist older healthy people and people with disabilities to remain independent and to monitor their safety and social connectedness. Most studies were conducted in laboratories and hospital clinics. Currently limited evidence demonstrates that robots can be used to enable people to remain living at home, although this is an emerging smart technology that is rapidly evolving.

What does client ‘engagement’ mean in aged care? An analysis of practice

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 1350-1376 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDREA PETRIWSKYJ ◽  
ALEXANDRA GIBSON ◽  
GLENYS WEBBY
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Power Relationships ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Client Engagement ◽  
Engagement Strategies ◽  
Connection Building

ABSTRACTClient engagement is an important part of contemporary aged care. However, the extent to which decisions are delegated to the older person, and the scope of issues about which decision making occurs, vary. The types of engagement that are offered to, and taken up by, aged-care clients have implications for the extent of power and influence older people hold. This paper reports on a qualitative study conducted in a large Australian service provider. It identifies the forms that client engagement takes in the aged-care context, the roles for staff and older people that are enacted through these activities, and the implications these have for power relationships and older people's influence. An inverse relationship was seen between the depth and scope of client influence, but a desire to address this suggested potential spaces for greater empowerment. A relationship was evident between the retention of control by staff and the perceived effectiveness of existing engagement strategies, highlighting the limitations of traditional power dynamics in engagement practice. An expanded model of engagement in aged care is proposed that recognises the foundational role of connection building as a facilitator of greater empowerment for older people. Implications for theory regarding engagement in aged care, and the practice of engagement in aged-care organisations, are discussed.

scholarly journals The role of social isolation in frequent and/or avoidable hospitalisation: rural community-based service providers’ perspectives

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Longman ◽  
Megan Passey ◽  
Judy Singer ◽  
Geoff Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Older People ◽  
Hospital Admission ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Pain Tolerance ◽  
Community Based

Background. Research on frequent or avoidable hospital admission has not focussed on the perspectives of service providers or rural settings. The link between social isolation and admission is not well explored, although social isolation is known to have negative health effects. Objective. This paper reports further analysis from a study investigating service providers’ perspectives on factors influencing frequent hospital admission in older patients with chronic disease, and explores the perceived role of social isolation. Methods. Semi-structured interviews with 15 purposively sampled community-based service providers in rural New South Wales, Australia were thematically analysed. Results. Social isolation was repeatedly identified as an important contributory factor in frequent and/or avoidable admission. Patients were described as socially isolated in three broad and interrelating ways: living alone, not socialising and being isolated from family. Social isolation was perceived to contribute to admission by limiting opportunities offered by social interaction, including opportunities for: improving mental health, pain tolerance and nutritional status; facilitating access to services; reinforcing healthful behaviours; and providing a monitoring role. Conclusions. Social isolation is perceived to contribute to admission in ways that may be amenable to intervention. Further research is needed to understand patients’ perspectives on the role of social isolation in admission, in order to inform policy and programs aimed at reducing hospitalisation among older people with chronic disease. What is known about the topic? Social isolation has been shown to adversely affect physical health and mental health and wellbeing across a range of populations. However, less is known about the influence of social isolation on hospital admission among older people with chronic disease, and in particular in instances where admission might have been avoided. What does this paper add? This paper adds to our understanding of the ways in which social isolation might link to hospital admission among older people with chronic conditions. It does this by reporting the perspectives of community-based service providers with many years’ experience of working with this patient group. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners need to consider the wider determinants of hospital admission among older patients with chronic disease, including social structures and support. For policy makers the implications are to review support for such patients and explore the possible impact of reducing social isolation on hospital admission.

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