Anticipated needs and worries about maintaining independence of rural/remote older adults: Opportunities for technology development in the context of the double digital divide

O’Connell, Megan E; Scerbe, Andrea; Wiley, Katelyn; Gould, Benjamin; Carter, James; Bourassa, Carrie; Morgan, D. H. J; Jacklin, Kristen; Warry, Wayne

doi:10.4017/gt.2018.17.3.001.00

Cited by 19 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…For example, participants from rural areas are unlikely to have access to the physical infrastructures that are needed for facilitating exposures to technology. This adds a psychological, technology adoption–related barrier to the existing technology adoption barriers that are described in the rural technology acceptance model [ 19 ]. The psychological barriers to technology adoption include those that were revealed in our study, such as the low perceived ease of use of new technologies, which was noted in the technology accessibility theme.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Older Adults’ Experiences With Using Technology for Socialization During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Survey Study

Haase¹,

Cosco²,

Kervin³

et al. 2021

JMIR Aging

146

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Background Technology use has become the most critical approach to maintaining social connectedness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Older adults (aged >65 years) are perceived as the most physiologically susceptible population to developing COVID-19 and are at risk of secondary mental health challenges related to the social isolation that has been imposed by virus containment strategies. To mitigate concerns regarding sampling bias, we analyzed a random sample of older adults to understand the uptake and acceptance of technologies that support socialization during the pandemic. Objective We aimed to conduct a population-based assessment of the barriers and facilitators to engaging in the use of technology for web-based socialization among older adults in the Canadian province of British Columbia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional, population-based, regionally representative survey by using the random-digit dialing method to reach participants aged >65 years who live in British Columbia. Data were analyzed using SPSS (IBM Corporation), and open-text responses were analyzed via thematic analysis. Results Respondents included 400 older adults aged an average of 72 years, and 63.7% (n=255) of respondents were female. Most respondents (n=358, 89.5%) were aware of how to use technology to connect with others, and slightly more than half of the respondents (n=224, 56%) reported that, since the beginning of the pandemic, they used technology differently to connect with others during the pandemic. Additionally, 55.9% (n=223) of respondents reported that they adopted new technology since the beginning of the pandemic. Older adults reported the following key barriers to using technology: (1) a lack of access (including finance-, knowledge-, and age-related issues); (2) a lack of interest (including a preference for telephones and a general lack of interest in computers); and (3) physical barriers (resultant of cognitive impairments, stroke, and arthritis). Older adults also reported the following facilitators: (1) a knowledge of technologies (from self-teaching or external courses); (2) reliance on others (family, friends, and general internet searches); (3) technology accessibility (including appropriate environments, user-friendly technology, and clear instructions); and (4) social motivation (everyone else is doing it). Conclusions Much data on older adults’ use of technology are limited by sampling biases, but this study, which used a random sampling method, demonstrated that older adults used technology to mitigate social isolation during the pandemic. Web-based socialization is the most promising method for mitigating potential mental health effects that are related to virus containment strategies. Providing telephone training; creating task lists; and implementing the facilitators described by participants, such as facilitated socialization activities, ar...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Older Adults’ Experiences With Using Technology for Socialization During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Survey Study

Haase¹,

Cosco²,

Kervin³

et al. 2021

JMIR Aging

146

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Participants found ways to connect remotely through phone and video calls, text messages, emails, and social media. Consistent with existing research, some older adults lacked access to telecommunications infrastructure or digital literacy skills to make use of cell or internet services, which influenced their ability to connect face-to-face at a distance [ 36 , 37 ]. Such gaps in infrastructure and literacy are critical considerations for future interventions particularly in relation to rural environments.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Conversations in Times of Isolation: Exploring Rural-Dwelling Older Adults’ Experiences of Isolation and Loneliness during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Manitoba, Canada

Herron

Newall

Lawrence

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Older adults have been described as a vulnerable group in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Canada, where this study took place, older adults have been encouraged to self-isolate while the rest of the population has been cautioned against in-person contact with them. Prior to COVID-19, social isolation and loneliness among older adults was considered a serious public health concern. Using a series of semi-structured interviews with 26 community-dwelling older adults (65 +) living in rural Manitoba, we explore older adults’ experiences of isolation and loneliness in the initial stages of the pandemic between the months of May and July 2020. Participants identified a loss of autonomy, loss of activities and social spaces (e.g., having coffee or eating out, volunteering, and going to church), and lack of meaningful connection at home as factors influencing their sense of isolation and loneliness. Although these loses initially influenced participants’ self-reported isolation and loneliness, the majority developed strategies to mitigate isolation and loneliness, such as drawing on past experiences of isolation, engaging in physically distanced visits, connecting remotely, and “keeping busy.” Our findings call attention to the role of different environments and resources in supporting older adults social and emotional wellbeing, particularly as they adapt to changes in social contact over time.

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“…Answering this deceptively simple question is made more difficult due to the bidirectional relation between ICT and participants’ comfort with and exposure to said ICT. We developed a rural technology acceptance model [ 3 ] and an Indigenous adaptation to this technology acceptance model [ 11 ], which underscore the multitude of reasons people might avoid new ICT, which includes longstanding infrastructure access barriers. If the answer to any of the following questions is no, you cannot use videoconferencing with this participant and need to consider an alternative plan such as use of the ubiquitous telephone.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Remote approaches for dementia research overcome barriers to participation in the era of COVID-19 requiring social distancing measures, but are also required to mitigate other factors, such as geographic barriers experienced by rural families [ 1 - 3 ]. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, there are additional considerations: is this research necessary at time?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Going From Zero to 100 in Remote Dementia Research: A Practical Guide

et al. 2021

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Remote approaches for dementia research are required in the era of COVID-19, but moving a research program from in person to remote involves additional considerations. We recommend using outcome measures that have psychometric properties for remote delivery, and we recommend against adapting in-person scales for remote delivery without evidence for psychometric equivalency. We suggest remote research designs that maximize benefit for participants, which could have implications for control groups. Researchers should plan for flexibility in their methods for remote research and must not assume all participants will be able to videoconference; telephone-only research is possible. We recommend performing an assessment of information communication technology infrastructure and prior exposure to this technology with each participant before making a final choice on remote methods for research. In general, researchers should adapt their methods for remote research to each participant rather than requesting participants to adapt to the researchers. Screening for sensory loss should be conducted, and the impact of this on the use of technology for remote research should be considered. In this viewpoint, we detail how individualized training is required prior to engaging in remote research, how training plans interact with cognitive impairments and, finally, the steps involved in facilitating technology-based remote data collection.

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Anticipated needs and worries about maintaining independence of rural/remote older adults: Opportunities for technology development in the context of the double digital divide

Cited by 19 publications

References 0 publications

Older Adults’ Experiences With Using Technology for Socialization During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Survey Study

Older Adults’ Experiences With Using Technology for Socialization During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Survey Study

Conversations in Times of Isolation: Exploring Rural-Dwelling Older Adults’ Experiences of Isolation and Loneliness during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Manitoba, Canada

Going From Zero to 100 in Remote Dementia Research: A Practical Guide

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