Good Things Foundation: Designing digital skills interventions for older people (2019)
This report brings together recommendations for designing digital skills interventions for older people with care and support needs.
Recommendations:
- Embed digital inclusion into care planning and pathways
- Recognise the social aspect of group sessions
- Harness the power of peer mentors
- Respond to anxieties and access needs
- Providers of health, housing and care can remove more barriers
Older people with long-term conditions or who are going through life transitions (such as bereavement, the onset of illness or impairment, increased caring responsibilities) may benefit from easier access to online health and care support. The internet and digital technologies can play a valuable role in enabling older and disabled people to get more out of life, keep in touch with friends and family, and make life easier.
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Digital exclusion is strongly correlated with low household income, living in social housing, and lower levels of educational attainment. Despite this, there is currently no national provision in England specifically to support older people’s digital inclusion and ensure equal access to online health services.
Report
Embedding digital inclusion into local health and social care pathways is not easy. Evidence on health and care integration more generally identifies funding and workforce challenges as barriers to systems change. Where integration has been successful, local relationships and shared purpose have been found to be pivotal.
Report