Technology and ageing david sinclair ilc

The International Longevity Centre-UK is an independent, non-partisan think-tank

dedicated to addressing issues of longevity, ageing and population change.

Technology and ageingHome Sweet Home

David Sinclair, International Longevity

Centre – UK @ilcuk

@sinclairda #nudgeorcompel





Summary

The world is changing

Using technology can be good for us

10 years of digital inclusion policy.

Why aren't older people online (access, skills, behaviour).

Tackling the barriers

http://nudges.org/tag/urinals/





A significant association between internet use and perceived control in one’s life

Uses the internet Yes

No

Total

Strongly agree 551 (39.6%) 840 (60.4%) 1391Moderately agree 1515 (51.6%) 1420 (48.4%) 2935

Slightly agree 1545 (59.4%) 1058 (40.6%) 2603

Slightly disagree 636 (68.2%) 296 (31.8%) 932Moderately disagree

593 (77.3%) 174 (22.7%) 767

Strongly disagree 268 (71.8%) 105 (28.2%) 373

Chi-Sq= 422.074, df = 5, P=<0.000

Table 1. Feels what happens in life is often determined by factors beyond control



A strong association between the measure of internet use and measures of loneliness

Uses the internet

Yes

No

Total

Hardly ever or never

3764 (60.2%) 2489 (39.8%) 6253

Some of the time 1091(51.3%) 1037 (48.7%) 2128

Often 272 (37.4%) 456 (62.6%) 728

Chi-Sq= 166.556, df = 2, P=<0.000Table 5. How often respondent feels lonely



People who reported not using the internet were more likely to say that they ‘often’ felt isolated

Uses the internet

Yes

No

Total

Hardly ever or never

3683 (59.5%) 2503 (40.5%) 6186

Some of the time 1242 (52.6%) 1118 (47.4%) 2360

Often 198 (37.4%) 331 (62.6%) 529

Chi-Sq= 115.871, df = 2, P=<0.000Table 6. How often respondent feels isolated from others



We found a weak association between the measure of internet use and anxiety

Uses the internet

Yes

No

Total

Experiences anxiety 194 (44.5%) 242 (55.5%)

436

Doesn’t experience anxiety

216 (62.6%) 129 (37.4%)

345

Chi-Sq= 4.008, df = 1, P=0.045Table 4. Respondent reports anxiety



Looking back to 2003

Instructions, packaging, user experience, hardware, software gave a relatively terrible user experience for manyAccessibility and the User Experience has vastly improved (hardware, software, ease of purchase, setup)

There are millions of fewer people not onlineBut there are millions more (over 7.5 million) still offline

http://www.adsavvy.org/amazoncoms-new-frustration-free-packaging-is-eco-and-customer-friendly/

http://www.adsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/teeth1.jpg



The slow death of adult learning?

Government had invested heavily in learning (UK Online Centres)We have failed to evaluate impact of learning and ACL struggles to justify expenditure. Public sector spending on adult learning is likely to be squeezed further due to spending cuts. By 2014/15 the education budget will be reduce by 13%. Spending on schools will fall by 1%. But we will see 20% cuts to Further Education and sixth-form colleges, and 40% to Higher Education institutions.



And since 2003

Technology has facilitated better back office functions which has made service delivery better for all.But more private and public services are available exclusively online

The issue continues to be no-ones and everyone's responsibility. Where are the Ministers? An assumption remains that the market will solve this problem.

http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/



But much public discourse remains the same

“This problem will go away. The next generation will be fine”Last quarter ONS Stats showed that progress for 65+s is two thirds slower than for under 65s (4.36% improvement vs 14.22%)

Still an obsession with assuming “my mum” knows the answer

Offline groups are still more likely to be older, have disabilities or be from lower socio-economic groups.



From universal access to high speed broadband

Delivering Digital Inclusion (2008): Recognised behavioural issues and led to the creation of Race Online (but little else?)

Digital Britain (2009) saw digital inclusion move to BIS and DCMS.

Digital Britain conflated the issues of skills development and motivation. No initiatives were proposed in either regard, although the work of Race Online 2012 was referred to as a solution. Later that year actions legislative responsibility moved to the Treasury recognising economic imperative in relation to high speed broadband.

Britain’s Superfast Broadband Future (2010) abandons the UK Government’s universal ambitions?



A move towards “digital by default”

‘We need to embrace new ways of delivering services … We need to be digital by default. Services that could be delivered online should be delivered only online … Digital by default will become a reality, not just a buzz phrase’. Frances Maude MP

Universal Benefit – Heavy reliance of online access.

http://www.ieg4.com/



The role for new technologies

135 years ago– first two way

phone call made

In 2000 – ½ world had never

owned a phone

By 2007 ½ the world had a

mobile phone

It took 75 years for telephones

to reach 50 million users

It took 4 years for the internet to

reach 50 million



Care Home Sweet Home

Tablet computers

Smartphones

GPS monitoring

Epilepsy monitors

Lifestyle/behavoural monitoring

Medication reminders



Google knows! Location Based Services



My Society/Fixmystreet.com



Tripadvisor for Care Homes



Ocado for care



Technology to facilitate active ageing

Volunteering

Gradual Retirement

(slithers of time)

Opportunities for

fun

Opportunities to

participate in

society

http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardstubbs/5933679919/sizes/m/in/photostream/



Web facilitating access to Information and Advice

• More confident consumers of care with raising

expectations rather than patients

• More tests available online/instant response

(telehealth/care/monitoring)

• Greater access to information about conditions

(accuracy?)

• Expectations to become more focused on “fix it”,

prevent it, cure it?

• Growth in health tourism. What about care

tourism? (Travelodge/recuperation in Spain)



Barriers to going technology use

Barriers to going online can be categorised as: Access, Skills and Behavioural choice

The disproportionally under-researched topic of behaviour and attitudes seem to play just as great, if not a greater role as access and skills



Digital Exclusion still a problem

Seven in ten 16-24s now using a smartphone. Under one in ten 65-74s and just 3% of over-75s do so.

In the last year there has been a small drop in the percentage of those aged over 75 with broadband at home (26% to 23%).

1/4 aged 75+ use the internet, the same figure as 2011. 15% of 25-44 year olds have a tablet PC, just 4% of 65-74 and 1% of over

75s do. “involuntary non-ownership of internet has risen significantly among those

aged over 75″. 54% over 75s have difficulty using PC compared with 3% 16-24 year olds. Whilst disabled people aged 15 -34 have comparable internet access to

non disabled people, those aged over 35 with visual or mobility impairment fall behind those without an impairment of the same age group.

Over 65s with a visual impairment are significantly less likely than other over 65s to have a mobile.



But firstly, take care with Age Assumptions



Usability



Motivating and inspiring the older population

“But how much smaller do

we want a phone?”

Some/many do want new

technology but: “I don’t

want to live in a smart-

home – I’d rather be dead” http://www.flickr.com/photos/un_photo/5832685007/sizes/z/in/

photostream/



Can’t continue to ignore the ethical issues

Moral and ethical debates – cant afford to ignore them

Must help older people choose technology when it is right for them (tagging/urine tests)

Privacy



Technology wont tackle the fundamental problems

The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.

Bill Gates

(Let’s get the basics right first!)



Limited culture of private purchase of health/care technologies

Personalisation?

Access to

information and

advice?

But Health Apps are

biggest growth area

for Iphone.http://www.flickr.com/photos/thousandshipz/4679235/sizes/

m/in/photostream/



Policy implications

Usability: Perhaps we need a legislative approach?

Or would this constrain innovation?

Inspiring and engaging the older consumer: How

can we tackle “its not for me”

Addressing ethics: Need to be more up front with

consumers about the use of technology



Complacency about technology: Technology is a

tool. But not a magic bullet.

Digital Exclusion: Do we need compulsion? Can

we nudge?

Creating a culture of private purchase: Need

healthcare technology on the BBC breakfast sofa.



Can we nudge?

Service providers could attract older customers by finding ways of discounted installation and connection deals, and initial periods of free internet access.

Companies advertising technology and opportunities to learn technology should use imagery of both older and younger people.

Government and the private sector should support local digital champions to make the case at a community level for the use of new technology.

Government and the private should invest more in adult learning, particularly if certain services are going to be made available exclusively online.

The technology sector should place more emphasis on co-design.



Should we go further? Compulsion?

“By switching services, like what we have done with analogue TV, there is a real opportunity to carry people on [to the internet],... I think that shutting down services would be the best way of carrying through the most amount of people, as long as it is carried through with training”

“the acid test for Directgov is whether it can empower, and make life simpler for, citizens and at the same time allow government to turn other things off”

Martha Lane Fox



Many thanks

David Sinclair

Head of Policy and Research

International Longevity Centre

[email protected]

02073400440

Twitter: @ilcuk and @sinclairda

mailto:[email protected]

Health & Medicine

Technology and ageing david sinclair ilc