Centers Opened to Increase Pensioners’ Computer Literacy – St.Petersberg Times – 17 Dec 2010

Source: http://www.sptimesrussia.com/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=33285

By Irina Titova

The St. Petersburg Times

Two new computer centers for elderly people will open in St. Petersburg in December and January with the aim of raising computer literacy among elderly people and enabling them to communicate with their friends via the Internet.

The computer training given at the centers will be free, said Anatoly Vereschagin, director of communications, charity and sponsorship projects at the company JTI in Russia, which sponsored the opening of the centers.

“This project is oriented toward elderly people, many of whom suffer from loneliness — a problem that the Internet can help to solve,” Vereschagin said at a press conference Thursday.

Leonarda Pchelina, head of the Alternativa Internet Club — the first computer club for elderly people opened by JTI in the Moskovsky district of the city in 2007 — said it was “a great opportunity” for older people to start using modern communication means.

“Our generation always experienced a lack of knowledge in that sphere due to our age, but we always wanted to dive into the world of the Internet,” Pchelina said.

Two levels of computer knowledge are taught at the center, Pchelina said. The basic level includes email and other primary Internet functions. At the advanced level, elderly people learn how to use Skype and ICQ.

“The brains of people who use the Internet work more efficiently. The Internet makes people forget about their illnesses and loneliness,” Pchelina said.

Georgy Shalamov, one of the members of Alternativa club, said a number of the club’s advanced students have already learned how to use popular social networking sites such as VKontakte, and have already found friends online and joined various Internet groups. They have also learned how to use Twitter and Live Journal.

Alexander Rzhanenkov, head of the city’s Social Policy Committee, said there are at least 20 social services centers where elderly people can learn computer skills in the city.

“However, the opportunities at those centers are somewhat limited, and far from everyone who would like to learn computer skills can do so there,” Rzhanenkov said.

“So it’s great when we see mutual collaboration in opening such centers between the city authorities and business. We are thankful to JTI for its input into such projects,” he said.

During the first three years of the first Internet center’s existence, at least 3,000 pensioners have taken classes there. The two new centers in the Krasnoselsky district of the city will teach up to 800 people a year.

Rzhanenkov said elderly people account for 23 percent of the city population, meaning there are still plenty of people among them who would love to learn how to use a computer.

Senior moments in computer gaming – ChinaDaily – 31 Dec 2010

Source:  http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/usa/2010-12/31/content_11782117.htm

BEIJING - Huang Jianqiu spends at least six hours a day on her computer playing games. But Huang is not an usual teenager or a 20-something gamer.

Huang is a mother, a retired government official and is 57 years of age. She's one of many seniors captivated by computer games who happily logs on to play games such as Happy Farm.
Happy Farm is a social game, letting users plant and harvest crops. This game has more than 10 versions in China, spread among different social network service (SNS) websites. Huang has registered five accounts on three SNS websites to play the games.

Games such as Happy Farm, which feature exquisite visuals and easy operations, are the rage in China and are attracting increasing numbers of non-typical players such as parents or even grandparents.

PopCap Games, the Seattle-based company that developed Bejeweled, Zuma and Plants vs Zombies, said that more than 15 percent of its regular users are over 50.

And QQ - one of China's most popular games site - has more than 1.5 million elderly people online daily, the company said.

Li Ping, CEO and vice-president of International Federation of Multimedia Associations, said that one trend of global game development is games for the elderly, even though most game companies target children or youngsters.

One survey on Internet development in China showed that almost 7 percent of regular users in the country are 50 and above.

But no game has yet been designed for the elderly, although Japan and the United States have carried out research on this. Nintendo, the Japanese company that developed Mario Bros., has a game aimed at helping seniors train their minds and has received favorable responses from the Japanese and British market.

PopCap has also been carrying out research with universities over the past five years around the stress relief and mental cognition benefits of playing Bejeweled.

Liu Chungang, secretary-general of the Beijing Animation and Game Industry Alliance, said the industry in China is dominated by massive multiplayer online role playing games, where the gross profit margin can be as high as 70 percent.

Five Chinese games, including Meng Huan Xi You and Perfect World, were on the Forbes list of the Top Moneymaking Online Games last year, with Meng Huan Xi You earning $400 million and Perfect World $300 million.

"The development of China's game is still aimed at youngsters who have better physical and mental conditions than seniors," said Deng Lili, professor of Institute for Cultural Industries at Peking University.

"Besides, many seniors don't have the opportunity to contact computer and the Internet, not to mention computer games."
Yet the demand of senior games is growing. "I know a lot of retired people who need games that can help them kill time and train the mind," Deng said.

"Some well-educated elders hope to learn more things through interesting games.
"Besides, games may help alleviate the pains of rehabilitation and improve the quality of treatment."
Gaming is gradually being applied in healthcare, education and other fields. Chen Yawei, from China Rehabilitation Research Center at Beijing Bo'ai Hospital, told China Daily it has adopted some games to ensure the rehabilitation process tht is not boring. Computers are used for cognitive training and balancing exercises.

"There is a trend in foreign countries to use games as treatment, and we have been exploring this, such as 'musical therapy'," Chen said.

"We really want to use more effective ways to help the elderly."

But key players in China's gaming industry, such as Tencent, Ourgame, Shanda and PopCap don't have specific plans for senior-oriented games at present.

However, Tencent has made many versions of its games more accessible to elders, such as bigger cards, fonts and slower operations.

Liu Qiang, director of the Internet culture department of the Ministry of Culture, said the industry should not attempt to hasten the pace and hope for quick successes of senior-oriented games.
"When there are demands, there will be potential markets; when there are potential markets, we can expect more companies to provide products," Liu said.

"The growing demand of the elderly for the Internet would push them to contact more entertainment online, including games. The seniors game market is a kind of blank in China. There is space for companies to expand their business."

While Huang is quite satisfied with the games available, she still prefers more suitable games.
"More interesting games with educational function maybe I'm not too old to read and learn," Huang said. "I hope I can harvest something from the game, just like I do in Happy Farm."

New computer for the Elderly – Denmark.DK – 9 Dec 2010

Source:  http://www.denmark.dk/en/servicemenu/news/scienceanditnews/newcomputerfortheelderly.htm

Danish IT company designs new ‘plug-and-play’ computer

DukaPC, a new Danish IT company, has designed a computer aimed at getting the elderly online.

According to Erik Hougaard, general manager of dukaPC, the new computer has been designed for people who are not used to using computers but want to learn.

“Of course, it can also be used by people who use computers already, but find it complicated and don’t want to depend on technical help from friends and neighbours,” he said.

Some 44 percent of people aged 65-89 have never used a computer, and 53 percent of this group have never used the internet, according to Statistics Denmark.

In addition, over 500,000 people over 60 do not have access to computers at home.

DukaPC said it hoped to close this digital age-gap its new computer.

Users will not need to deal with technical matters such as security updates, installations, and internet connectivity. DukaPC said that it would handling all updates related to the computer, and that employees would be able to remotely control it in order to fix any problems.

“This is the first plug-and-play computer I’ve seen. You don’t need to have broadband and you don’t need to deal with all the technical things in order to get start.

The mobile modem is installed, so all you have to do is plug it in, and then it just works,” said Søren Høyer, marketing consultant for DaneAge, an advocacy association for the elderly.

Digital Agenda: review shows strong SME interest and government backing for ICT to assist the elderly – Europa – 16 Dec 2010

Source: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/1726&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

The European Commission today presented a report on the progress of the Ambient Assisted Living joint programme (AAL JP) which highlights very high levels of involvement by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in projects, strong levels of financial support by participating countries and recommendations to ensure ongoing positive results. This €600 million research and development funding programme involves 23 countries and the EU to improve the quality of life of senior citizens through smart ICT-based solutions. The report is addressed to the European Parliament and Council of Ministers and is an important step to reinforce the AAL JP, one of the key actions of the Digital Agenda for Europe (seeIP/10/581, MEMO/10/199 and MEMO/10/200). The AAL JP can make an important contribution to the forthcoming pilot European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (see IP/10/1609).

Neelie Kroes, Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda said "I am pleased that participating countries see the Ambient Assisted Living joint programme as an important lever to tackle the challenge of demographic ageing, as shown by their substantial financial commitments. Information and communications technologies are crucial to improving the lives of the growing number of Europe's senior citizens.The AAL programme demonstrates how, by pooling our resources, the EU can achieve far more in this important area than individual Member States ever could".

The Commission's first evaluation of the AAL joint programme is based on the conclusions (also issued today) of a high level panel chaired by former European Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, which reviewed the AAL JP against the wider context of innovation responding to demographic challenges.

The report indicates that the joint programme has been very successful in uniting the 23 participating countries around a pressing societal challenge and filling a gap between advanced research and large scale market roll-out solutions for active and independent living. The AAL JP success is also enhanced by the substantial level of financial investment by participating countries. In 2009 this was 50% more than the minimum level originally foreseen. Another decisive indicator of success is the very strong participation of SMEs in project consortia (more than 40%).

New solutions

The programme develops new solutions that are ready for use on the market within two to three years. More than 50 research and innovation projects in the areas of chronic disease management and social interaction of seniors have been launched since 2008. Examples include robots performing household chores while helping the person to remain connected to their social surroundings and 'smart home' environments that respond to their inhabitants' movements and behaviour to make their lives easier.

To maximise the programme’s positive output, the Commission recommends closer and more meaningful involvement of end-users when solutions are being designed. More consistent eligibility and financing rules should also minimise operational hiccups and delays that sometimes affect the smooth progress of projects. The Commission will also work to set up financing arrangements to bridge the gap between the ‘pilot phase’ and large market uptake. This includes further supporting the AAL Investment Forum, and taking into account the possible contribution of the AAL JP to the pilot European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing. The pilot Partnership, announced by the Innovation Union flagship initiative, will address barriers to large scale uptake of innovation that responds to the challenges of demographic ageing (see IP/10/1609).

The Commission will also further strengthen ties between the AAL JP, the other EU-funded research and innovation programmes and the 2012 Year of Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity.

On the basis of this report, the Commission will now discuss with the European Parliament and the EU's Council of Ministers the next steps in implementing these proposed actions and the continuation of the programme beyond its initial expiry date of 2013.

Background

The AAL JP brings together 20 EU Member States (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK), three associated countries (Israel, Norway and Switzerland) and the European Commission.

It supports ICT-enabled solutions for ageing well that can be launched on the market in two to three years and become commercially viable. This brings new business opportunities and huge savings in the cost of social and health care. For example, telecare solutions can cut the costs of care services by up to 30%.

More than €1 billion is being invested by the public and private sector in Europe in research and innovation for ageing well: some €600 million in the AAL joint programme (AAL JP), approximately €400 million in the EU's research framework programme and more than €50 million so far in the EU's ICT Policy Support Programme.

The Commission's participation in the Ambient Assisted Living programme results from a 2007 action plan on "Ageing Well in the Information Society" (see IP/07/831). Its goal is to strengthen research cooperation between Member States through matching EU funds.

The Commission's report, and the evaluation report by the high level panel, are available via:

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/einclusion/research/aal/interim_review/index_en.htm

Marine Parade study on the needs of Elderly – ST – 13 Dec 2010

Source:  http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_613265.html

A PILOT study is to be launched in Marine Parade ward to discover the needs of the elderly and how the Government can create a support system for this growing group in Singapore's population.

It will include a survey of residents aged 60 and older, to give policymakers an insight into the amenities they wish to see in their homes as well as around their estates, said Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday when he announced the plan.

The study will be carried out over five years by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and other government agencies in partnership with grassroots organisations of Marine Parade ward, part of Marine Parade GRC. Mr Goh said MCYS will announce the details today.

Mr Goh, who is the ward's MP, said it was picked for the study due to its greying population, which he called 'a precursor' to the situation Singapore will face in 20 years' time, when one in five - or about 900,000 people - will be aged 65 and older.

'We are 20 years ahead of the other communities in Singapore in terms of the ageing profile of the old population,' he said at a Christmas celebration at the Mandarin Orchard Hotel yesterday, organised by St Hilda's Community Services Centre for about 400 elderly residents from Tanjong Rhu in Marine Parade GRC.

The need for 'a more holistic study' on the implications of an ageing population, Mr Goh said, was prompted by discussions he has held with Cabinet ministers on the greying population in Singapore and, in particular, his Marine Parade ward.

Beyond physical facilities, the study will help identify the government policies and services that would have to be put in place for an ageing population, he said.

The survey will first help the Government identify the gaps. Policies can then be crafted to cater to the elderly population's needs, and the policies' cost-effectiveness will subsequently be evaluated, he added.

He said the Marine Parade experience could be drawn on for application in other constituencies and 'hopefully for the whole of Singapore in time to come'.

When asked what new amenities they would like to have, the elderly at yesterday's Christmas high tea mentioned the extension of covered linkways, as well as more exercise facilities near their homes.

Madam Lai Nguk Chin, 65, also wants more food stalls and grocery shops near her home. Currently, many people take the bus to the markets at Marine Parade town centre or in Old Airport Road.

'If you tell an old person to take a bus to the market when he may already have trouble walking, he might give up on the idea and eat bread instead,' she said.

Madam Lai was also full of praise for St Hilda's Community Services Centre, especially its day-care and physiotherapy services for elderly residents.

Social events, like yesterday's high tea, are also important, she added: 'It's a good chance to mix with our neighbours in a relaxed setting and enjoy ourselves for a few hours.'

Earlier, in his speech, Mr Goh reiterated a call made by the organisation's chairman, the Reverend Canon Soon Soo Kee, for more young volunteers to step forward.

'Looking to the future, we are going to see more (elderly), and we'll need more young people to come forward to help them grow old graciously, to make their life more comfortable.'

By doing so, they will help turn Singapore into a more caring, compassionate society where 'everybody, whether you're in need of finances or in need of help, you're very much a part of the community (and) somebody is there to care for you'.

Think of the iPad for your Elderly Parents, Boomers – TechAndBoomers – 10 Nov 2010

I know that many Baby Boomers are still in the sandwich generation, caring for loved ones who now are elderly. It's been interesting to me to find out that some of us are using technology to enhance the quality of life of older people whose minds might be shining as brightly as ever, but who have some physical limitation that keeps them tethered to home or even in a nursing home.

In the past, it was difficult to envision packing mom or dad's expensive and fairly heavy laptop with them to go to assisted living, and impossible to figure out how to get Internet access for the laptop. However, with the advent of the iPad older people are bringing their connections to the outside world inside with them.

I recently watched a YouTube video and a news report showing a 99 year old woman with glaucoma rediscovering her love of reading and writing poetry using an iPad which lets her see the letters because of the contrasting screen. I also had been following some posts on the Boomer social networking site eons (www.eons.com) by a devoted daughter, screen named Techie44, who wanted to keep in touch with her 94 year-old mom even though the daughter would be spending the winter many miles away. I contacted Techie44 and asked if I could share her story and she graciously agreed.

In the beginning, Techie44 wasn't sure if the iPad would work for her mom, but she thought that her mother, who has rheumatoid arthritis and is in a nursing home, might be able to master it. I read through Techie44's posts as she weighed the pros and cons of getting what was then a brand new device for her mom. One thing was telling, however. Her mom was already familiar with email and wanted to have her email with her in the nursing home.

After showing her mother the family's iPad and how it worked, Techie44 ordered one for her with Wi-fi and 3G and set up her mother's email accounts to sync with the iPad. She also sent her mom some email so she could practice replying. Thinking about what would make her mom happy, she also loaded the iPad with the Christmas and classical music that her mother loves and put in pictures of the family, as well as some photos of the family camping vacations, since that's what her mom used to love to do.

Significantly, Techie44 signed up for Apple's MobileMe, an application that keeps mobile devices in sync. This was suggested to her by one of the othereons posters and it turned out to be very important. The iPad is the kind of device that can be picked up easily and just "walk out the door" of a nursing home. MobileMe has a feature called "Find my iPhone/iPad" and if someone walked away with the device, it could let Techie44 know where it is.

In an email, Techie44 told me she put a sticker on the outside of the iPad notifying everyone that it could be tracked and that she demonstrated how she could track the device to the people at the nurses station. She also told them that she would prosecute if the device were stolen.  Although she didn't tell me this, I expect she was hoping word of mouth would spread, and anyone thinking of walking away with the device would be forewarned. She also took the added precaution of selecting a pass code her mom could remember, so no one else could borrow the device.

Now I've always contended that MobileMe should be free, and not the $99/year product it is, but I'm willing to say that in this case it's worth the money. An added benefit of  MobileMe is that Techie44 can link her mom up to a "cloud" photo gallery, and the family can update and add pictures to it  from wherever they are, without having to load them directly onto the device. This was also pointed out by another eons poster.

So how is it going? Techie44's mom has arthritis, so hitting all the right icons and keys on the iPad is somewhat of a challenge, but she is managing, and enjoying the device. She does most of her typing herself but an aide helps her type long letters.  She's listened to her music on the device, but had a bit of a problem figuring out how to shut it off. Thinking ahead, Techie44 showed someone at the nursing home the ins and outs of the iPad so they could help her.

In addition, Techie44 signed her mom up for the Facebook app, so now "Granny" can follow her grand nieces and nephews on the social networking site. She also downloaded an app called iFish Pond that will help her mom pretend she is sitting by a pond when the weather gets cold.

Techie44 says that she made the right choice in getting her mom an iPad. A computer would  have had to sit on a table and her mother would have had to deliberately go to it. The iPad is easy for her mom to carry with her, and the 3G wireless solves the problem of getting Internet access in a nursing home, something that could prove to be nearly impossible. 

One last thing: Techie44 says that the iPad has made a tremendous difference in the quality of her mother's life. She is connected to relatives she hadn't heard from for years and looks forward to receiving her email and photos from her family.  You can't find a more ringing endorsement than that.

I know the post above makes it look like I endorse the iPad or that I'm employed by Apple, but I assure you I am not. I simply believe that this genre of tablet has opened up a new era of computing and is beneficial for society. Many, many tablets are coming into the market soon, but right now Apple essentially stands alone. If the upcoming Linux Android tablets are as easy to use as the iPad, as this author predicts, they too will gain traction with the elderly and will add to the societal goal of helping them stay connected.

Source: http://techandboomers.blogspot.com/2010/11/think-of-ipad-for-your-elderly-parents.html

Elderly Increasingly Looking to College to Boost Job Skills - Associated Press - November 30, 2010

DES MOINES, Iowa — Dorothy Frode enrolled in community college this fall, 50 years after she graduated from high school and facing the certainty that retirement wasn’t possible with only her Social Security income.

At age 67, the Dubuque, Iowa, woman made a choice likely becoming more common among older Americans: to return to college for more training, then seek jobs they intend to hold into their 70s or beyond.

“I have bills to pay. The lights, the gas, everything that everyone else has to pay,” Frode says. “I didn’t have enough money.”

According to the Iowa Department of Education, enrollment by students 55 and older at Iowa’s community colleges has increased by 300 students in 2010, to 1,661. That’s a rise of 24 percent over 2009.

They’re majoring in education and training, business, health science and information technology — all sectors that have been hiring.

“The fact that they’re registering majors indicates they are trying to achieve something,” says department researcher Tom Schenk. “If you’re going back to community college and just doing leisure, that won’t show up in those numbers. Those are noncredit enrollments, like the basket weaving kind of classes.”

The increased enrollment comes as Americans 55 or older comprise a larger share of the labor force — up to 19 percent in 2009, according to a report by the nonprofit Urban Institute. That’s the highest rate for older workers since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking the data in 1948.

Older Americans, like other age groups, also are seeing historically high unemployment rates, with 7.3 percent out of work in August 2010, also the highest rate since 1948.

National enrollment statistics aren’t available, but some education experts say more seniors are enrolling in college for degrees they hope will result in secure jobs.

Dr. Bryan Cook, director of the Center for Policy Analysis with the American Council on Education, says he’s confident of an increase in older students enrolling in postsecondary education, but data isn’t available about what’s motivating them.

“My gut would tell me an increasing number of them are going to have to go back to school to get retrained because if they only had a high school degree and lost their job, chances are any other employment opportunities are going to require some sort of postsecondary education,” Cook says.

Brenda Dann-Messier, assistant secretary of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education in the U.S. Department of Education, says she thinks many workers who have reached their 60s without a college degree believe they can’t get a good job without more education.

“I have served folks who have never been to college, never had a high school diploma who are now aspiring to college because they understood that was the ticket for them to have a secure future,” she says.

Even with an enhanced education, it’s unclear how many employers will hire people who are in their late 60s or older.

Age-based discrimination is illegal, but 65-year-old Jeanne Liander, of Phoenix, says many employers seem to favor younger applicants.

Liander, a substitute art teacher, is taking classes at Rio Salado College to meet requirements to keep her Arizona teaching certificate. She needs to find a full-time position because her husband lost his job in 2007, their house is in foreclosure and they have been eking out a living on Social Security benefits and food stamps.

“It’s pretty grim,” she says.

Teaching jobs are scarce and the competition is fierce. She has had interviews at several schools in the Phoenix area, but no luck. Liander believes she’s more than qualified but feels her age puts her at a disadvantage.

“Age has been a barrier. I know it has been,” she says.

Melanie Holmes, vice president of corporate affairs for Manpower Inc., an employment services company, acknowledged older workers face skepticism from potential employers. But she contends that people in their 60s or 70s often bring experience and a strong work ethic to their jobs that younger employees can’t match.

And with college training, there is no reason to think older workers should be limited to low-skill jobs, she says.

“We’re making a mistake if we stereotype all 70-year-olds, if we say they’re qualified only to be Wal-Mart greeters,” she says. “It’s a mistake to think someone in their 70s won’t give (employers) their money’s worth.”

Frode, the Dubuque woman, says she decided to enroll full-time at North Iowa Community College after figuring out how to refinance her mortgage and keep her home. The experience led her to seek a two-year degree in social work, with hope of finding a job where she could help people facing similar situations.

“I’d love to be able to help these people and tell them that there’s things out there if you just look,” she says.

 Source: http://diverseeducation.com/article/14451/

Survey: elderly and technology – Enerexxo - 21 Nov 2010

Posted on November 21, 2010 by jokewellens

If we want to know if elderly are interested in technology or not, we could better ask them. So I did a little survey on the market Friday morning to have an idea of their point of view. My target group was elderly from an age 70 or older. I interviewed 44 persons.

These were the questions:

1) Which technology are you already using these days?

Cell phone

Personal computer

Internet

…

2 a) If you ever are less mobile, would you use following technologies that could improve your way of living?

Internet (for instance online shopping…)

An aid for mobility (wheelchair…)

Others

2 b) Would/ are you receptive to medical applications (for instance: a hearing aid)

2c) What is the maximal learning period a new technology may be?

3) Suppose your muscles are too weak, so you can’t walk anymore. Which of the two following techniques would you prefer:

An exoskeleton. A new technology that measures the signals of your brain to your legs. This measurement is painless. This technology controls an appliance (sort of a robot around the knee) with you can walk again.

Wheelchair

Results:

66% of the elderly has a cell phone, and 47,73% has a personal computer and internet. The reasons that some elderly haven’t one of these are mostly the same: they don’t want to be accessible at any time (for the cell phone) , some find it to difficult and think they are too old for learning these technologies.

When the elderly have problems with their mobility, only 38,63 % will use internet as an aid. The majority prefer family, friends, neighbors to help them with their basic needs (food, …). These percentage is lower than the percentage (47,73%) of people who has internet. Reasons? Elderly prefer the social contacts, and they are aware of the extra cost of internet shopping and delivery at home.

Technology as medical applications are more accepted. 87% of the target group would use these medical applications if there is no other choice. They know the consequences of getting older, but as long as they could have their socials contact and mobility the majority is happy. I think that the urge of social contacts and mobility is the reason why medical applications are more accepted for them than luxury goods like cell phones and PC’s. This sounds strange because PC’s and cellphones could also improve your social contacts. (Read the blogpost of karelvanderelst “On social networking”). 73 % Of the elderly prefer an exoskeleton in stead of a wheelchair (if cost is not an issue), and most of them would have patience to learn these medical applications.

My conclusion:

I think a lot of the elderly are receptive to technology, especially if there is a medical problem that attacks their urge of social contacts and mobility. Simplicity of the applications and price are also important factors.

 

Source: http://enerexxo.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/survey-elderly-and-technology/

Are the elderly welcome in our new technologies? – Enerexxo - 26 Nov 2010

Posted on November 26, 2010 by jeroenthimpont

In this post I would like to discuss wether or not the younger generation is keen on letting the old one in on “their” new technologies.  Even if the senior citizens want to use the technologies are they in some way “allowed”?

Of course this is not a question that I can give a absolute answer on. But I will tell you a story that can give a glims on how the youth reacts to an elder in their midst.

The story is this:

On August the fifth 2006, Peter Oakley a 83 year old pensioner from Leichester, England, posted his first blog on youtube.

He had just become a widower and wanted , as he said in an interview commited by unruly Media (see link below), to “meet new people and find penfriends – but without disrupting his ‘reclusive life’ behind the screen.” What followed whas a youtube ‘boom’.

The uploaded video got over 400.000 views in less than a week (and is currently at almost 3 million views). On top of that he got a staggering amount of comments and mails which he one by one read and replied to, thuss resulting in new aqcuaintances and even friends.

This story shows us that the elderly are not only allowed on new technologies, but might also be embraced in doing this by the younger generations.

Of course this one testimony doesn’t mean that seniors are always admitted on every technology.

Taking for instance an example that Peter Oakley himself cited: ‘Elderly behind the wheel of a car’

As can be seen on this facebook group , or this site there is a lot of criticism on wether or not elder people are allowed to drive on the roads. This discussion, in my opinion, goes further than issues about safety because the solution often mentioned is that there should be a new driving test of some sort at the age of 70 (currently being used in the UK). What strikes me in this solution is that in every age section, there are people who drive more dangerous then the average elder, and that the lost of sight and reflexes is not something that invariatly just ‘pops up’ at the age of 70. Therefore, if your only goal was more safety,

it would be a vastly better measure to ask for a license renewal every, say, twenty years or so. The fact that this is not the case gives me the feeling that there is more going on here, that in our subconsious we just don’t like elderly to mingle with ‘our’ techology at there pace.

As you can see a conclusion is not simple to make. In some instances our senior citizens are allowed and embraced in our new technologies, but on the other hand, we can sometimes have the urge to exclude them from some technologies, especially when their interference comes at a cost to our speed and freedom. So, when we think about elderly not being capable of doing a certain job, we should always ask to ourselves if we are really just focussing on objective reasons, or if we are just scared to be held up by our elder citizens.

Source: http://enerexxo.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/are-the-elderly-welcome-in-our-new-technologies/

Click to ‘see’ doctor - The Straits Times, 04 Nov 2010

The use of audio-visual technology in medical diagnosis from a distance could reduce the number of A&E hospital visits for patients.

Need to see your doctor? Just turn on your home computer and have a “face to face” consultation. You can also use the attached devices to measure and transmit your heart beat and blood pressure readings.

That scenario is not too far off.

Telemedicine, the use of audio-visual technology to provide medical consultation, care and diagnosis from a distance, is already here.

While the field is still fledgling, it is definitely growing. In his blog last week, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan spoke about the need for more “tele-innovations” so that “health care can be better and also cheaper”.

Many clinics and hospitals are already trying out various projects in a bid to bring health care closer to patients, speed up treatment or reduce the load on acute facilities.

On a basic level, hospitals now share information seamlessly through the use of the mobile phone.

For example, medical scans, such as foetal and brain images, are sometimes sent between hospitals using a mobile phone through platforms such as Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS).

This way, a second opinion from other doctors can be sought quickly during emergencies for faster diagnosis and treatment.

At Singapore General Hospital (SGH), tele-radiology has been in use since 2007. For example, X-rays taken at polyclinics, which may not have radiologists on hand, are transmitted via Internet to SGH for quick reporting.

The radiology reports of more than 90 per cent of all the general X-rays done at the polyclinics can be ready within an hour, translating to faster treatment, said senior consultant Winston Lim, from the department of diagnostic radiology at SGH.

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital is trying to take it further and make bedside telemedicine a reality.

It has been running various projects with the geriatric population for at least a decade. Last year, it tried out a teleconferencing system with St Joseph’s Home, a 140-bed nursing home located in Jurong.

Such devices could reduce the number of A&E visits for patients, saving them time and travel expenses. Also, doctors can carry out their usual weekly rounds of the nursing homes via the “tele” way, allowing them to cover more patients in a given time, said Mr Kenneth Lam, operations manager of the hospital’s geriatric medicine department.

Workers at the nursing home were able to link up with doctors at the hospital when patients need medical attention. This was useful, since the doctors saw the residents only once a week.

A portable computer with an attached movable camera enabled doctors to remotely observe the elderly patients.

The nurses could also perform simple physical examinations that the doctor could see. Patients were able to communicate with the doctor directly.

From there, the doctor made the diagnosis and suggested treatment, all from his office chair.

Such tele-consultations prevented unnecessary hospital admissions, said the home’s nursing officer Gillian Beins.

For example, one elderly woman came down with fever and pain from a leg infection. Ordinarily, she would have been sent to the hospital, since there is no resident doctor at the home.

But through tele-conferencing, the doctor was able to tell that she had cellulitis, a type of skin infection, and was able to prescribe the right kind of antibiotics to the nurses in the home.

Her infection subsided.

As with any technology-based trial, the project met with teething problems such as dropped signals and the computer hanging.

However, these are being ironed out, with the next phase of the project getting new equipment and better Internet connectivity within the next three months, said Mr Lam.

Four more nursing homes are also coming on board.

Devices that can directly transmit patient information, such as digital stethoscopes and heart telemetry equipment, may also one day become commonplace.

And along this line, telemedicine has the potential to be diffused into the homes of the elderly and disabled who live alone.

Patients can take routine blood pressure and sugar level checks themselves and report the results to the doctor during the tele-conferencing.

And just as in the case of nursing homes, telemedicine can also work for people who are not sure if they need to be admitted to the hospital.

“We can do a tele-triage of geriatric patients so that they do not have to make trips unnecessarily,” added Mr Lam.

Home telemedicine is gaining ground in countries such as the United States and Britain.

It will be a while before costs come down and patients become comfortable enough with high-tech devices for home telemedicine to become a reality here.

For now, a high-resolution camera for telemedicine purposes could already cost thousands, said Mr Lam.

But Singapore’s next-generation fibre optic network is already up and running, and it will be cheaper and easier to wire up at home then.

 Source: http://www.sgh.com.sg/about-us/newsroom/News-Articles-Reports/Pages/Clickto%E2%80%98see%E2%80%99doctor(.aspx

Brain gym helps elderly drivers avoid crashes – New Scientist – 10 Nov 2010

Elderly people who did 10 sessions of brain training had half as many crashes on the road as untrained counterparts – even though the training didn't directly relate to driving itself.

"There are no other cognitive training programs, or 'brain games', that have been demonstrated by published, peer-reviewed studies to enhance driving performance," says Jerri Edwards of the University of South Florida in Tampa, a co-leader of the study.

The results contradict a study of 11,000 people earlier this year, carried out by Adrian Owen at the University of Cambridge and colleagues, which found that brain training didn't help improve cognitive skills outside the game itself.

"Overall, people need to know that not all brain training is equal," says Edwards. "Some programs work and some don't."

On the road

With an average age of 73, the 908 participants in the latest study were assigned to one of three different computer training programs or to no training at all. One program focused on improving reaction speed, another on reasoning skills and the third on memory. Each course lasted for 10 sessions, and then the participants were tracked for six years to see how many times they had road crashes for which they were personally responsible.

It turned out that the reaction speed and reasoning skills programs helped reduce accidents by 50 per cent, but the memory training made no difference. Of the participants with no training, 18 per cent had at least one crash, just slightly ahead of the 16 per cent of memory course participants who had accidents. By contrast, only 10 per cent of the speed-training group had crashes, and 12 per cent of those on the reasoning course.

Over the 10 sessions, the courses cranked up the skills of the participants by presenting them with progressively tougher tasks. In the reaction-speed program, for example, participants had to fulfil tests such as identifying targets flashing up on a computer screen. The reasoning course challenged participants to recognise patterns to solve problems.

"On the road, the brain needs to process a lot of visual information quickly," says Steven Aldrich, chief executive of Posit Science, the company in San Francisco, California, that developed the programs. "So the visual speed-of-processing training directly improves brain functions involved in driving safely, making them faster and more accurate."

Get to the gym

In the light of the findings, Edwards recommends that the elderly try cognitive training programs – but only ones that have been validated by research. Also, she says they should maintain physical exercise, as this helps to keep the brain fit too.

"Research shows that over long periods of time, participation in cognitively stimulating activities may stave off dementia," says Edwards. "However, engagement in effective and challenging brain exercises targeting specific cognitive abilities may be required to immediately improve cognitive and everyday function of older adults," she says.

Aldrich says that participating in the courses had other beneficial spin-offs. Trained brains were 38 per cent less likely to develop depression up to a year afterwards, and less likely than controls to develop health problems when checked two and five years after training. Also, 68 per cent of those who took the reaction-speed course retained their increased reaction times at a two-year follow up.

Torkel Klingberg, who develops cognitive training progams at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, says the study shows that training in basic cognitive abilities can improve everyday performance too. "Both the reasoning training and the speed-of-reaction training would improve attention skills, which are both important in driving," he says.

Adrian Owen was contacted for comment but was unable to respond.

Source: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19706-brain-gym-helps-elderly-drivers-avoid-crashes.html

Active seniors win award for innovation - The Straits Times - 13 October 2010

By Judith Tan

Tourists on their first visit to Singapore are being approached by friendly senior citizens at the airport, offering directions and telling them where to claim their baggage.

Dressed in black polo tees and red vests, these seniors are part of the Changi Senior Ambassador programme run jointly by RSVP Singapore - a body for senior volunteers - and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

RSVP president Philbert Chin, 81, said being involved this way engages the seniors both mentally and physically, a goal at the heart of RSVP's activities for its members.

This philosophy has won RSVP Singapore this year's Outstanding VWO Award in Innovation, given out by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). VWO stands for voluntary welfare organisation.

Meanwhile, the Outstanding VWO Award in Collaboration was shared by the Alzheimer's Disease Association and the Lions Befrienders Service Association. The two bodies were honoured for working tirelessly with other organisations to raise awareness of their respective causes.

Each of the two categories comes with a prize of $20,000, with the latter two associations splitting their prize equally. The winners also received plaques from Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Yu-Foo Yee Shoon at the NCSS Members Conference 2010 at the NTUC Centre yesterday.

Dr Chin told reporters that, aside from being friendly faces and helping hands to lost tourists at the airport, RSVP members run Learning Journey, an outdoor interactive programme for school children and senior groups.

Acting as tour guides, RSVP volunteers take their charges to places such as the Marina Barrage, the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and the Old Ford Factory to show them what makes Singapore tick.

'It is like a sort of national service we seniors do and enjoy doing,' Dr Chin said. He described RSVP as a 'bottom-up driven' organisation which gives its members a say in the kind of programmes it runs.

Besides the awards presentation, the NCSS Members Conference 2010 brought together 500 members to address key issues in the social service sector.

Speakers yesterday were Professor Andrew Scharlach, a specialist in elder care, and Mr Ho Kwon Ping, the executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings, a developer and manager of premium hotels, spas and resorts.

At the event, a website which VWOs can use to promote their products and services was launched. Items sold include batik coasters and cushion covers by the Metta Welfare Association, and door hangers and magnets by the Centre for Adults at the Association for Persons with Special Needs.

An NCSS spokesman said a single website would provide a centralised platform for its members to showcase their products: 'Previously, these products and services were hosted on the VWOs' own sites, making it quite difficult for the public to go from one to the other.'

Source: The Stratis Times, 13th October 2010
URL: http://www.straitstimes.com/Singapore/Story/STIStory_589922.html