Reducing social isolation with health technology
We helped Telstra Health to address social isolation amongst elderly and disabled people.
A few years ago, Paper Giant worked with Telstra Health to design and conduct a research project with elderly and disabled care receivers living in regional Queensland, to help inform the design and development of new digital products to combat depression that arises from social isolation.
We had a particular focus on what role technology plays — or could play — in alleviating social isolation.
Through the project, we interviewed a range of elderly and disabled people in different living situations through regional and remote Queensland.
In conversations about their healthcare, their technology use, their families and their lives, we uncovered insights regarding technology & accessibility, the importance of the moments of transition in care (especially health ‘milestones’) in affecting social isolation, and the importance of feeling independent whatever the current living situation.
Research insights relevant to the COVID-19 crisis
We are releasing a reduced and redacted version of this research in the hope that it will aid those working on the topic of social isolation through the COVID-19 Pandemic.
It is important to note that these insights were created in response to a specific service and product, and while relevant to the current landscape, they require some caution to be applied.
Elderly people and people with a disability create social connections in whatever ways they can
Social connection was difficult to achieve for many of the people we spoke to, and we learned that people can still feel isolated even when they are being visited regularly by family.
A key component of wellbeing in isolation was a sense of agency and control.
To help alleviate isolation, elderly people actively sought out and created social groups for themselves to the best of their ability. We found that our participants benefited from the actual social interaction they received through connection, but that they also benefited from knowing that they had options for connection available to them.
We heard participants talk about how they attempted to stay engaged and active, whether this was through being part of a disabled bowling league, joining the University of the Third Age, or walking to the shops even though they had to take regular “sit downs”.
“What do you like about the bowling as an activity?”
“I feel like part of a team, and, um, it’s fun…”
One participant told us a story about how she set up an ad-hoc local community in Toowoomba for sufferers of her particular nerve disease:
“There’s three of us in Toowoomba, they used to come and visit me, and I used to go and visit them, and we’d talk about our disability, and talk about what happened in that week, where we got better, where we got worse.”
It is worth noting that this was not an online community, and that this participant hadn’t made attempts to create or join an online community related to her disability, other than emailing some people with the same disease in America.
Questions to explore
How might we use online platforms to emulate the physical social activities older people and people with a disability were previously undertaking?
How might we harness people’s energy and drive to remain engaged and keep their minds healthy?
Technology proficiency is not determined by age
We found that age was not a determining factor in whether people had technology and internet access, whether they used it, or what they used it for.
Technology use and engagement was more determined by education levels, access to family support (i.e. “the grandson help desk”) and living circumstances (such as existence or quality of an internet connection) than by age.
Barriers for the use of technology included:
- access to internet and devices,
- confidence and familiarity in using the devices they had,
- privacy/security concerns, and
- access to support.
Having active support was vital, but so was having a forgiving and open attitude from existing support networks.
One of our participants stopped using social media after being berated by family:
“I’ve been told so many times that I push the wrong button that I don’t do it anymore”.
Participants who were social media users spoke positively about using the internet for maintaining social connections. They spoke very highly of Skype, and positively of Facebook, although there were some security concerns with Facebook in particular. One couple commented on “unwanted intrusion into one’s private life on Facebook”.
We found that those most active online also had the closest social ties to family and friends.
Questions to explore
How might we support people who don’t have access to devices and technology, or who have low digital literacy, to foster social connection during this time?
There is a strong desire to use technology to connect with family and friends
Many of the participants spoke of the value of face-to-face communication facilitated through platforms like Skype, and wanted support to use it.
For example, a participant said that:
“if somebody taught me how to use ‘snap chat’ — that’s what my mum calls it, ‘snap chat’ — then I’d do a snapchat to my mum and my nephews, that’s what I’d do.”
Empowering technology use promotes independence and engagement
Participants that we spoke to wanted to maintain independence at whatever level they could manage.
We found that technology use itself provided enough of a sense of achievement for people to foster feelings of independence.
Technology-enabled social connections were even more valuable in supporting people’s independence.
One woman spoke of how she had used Skype to say goodbye to her dying brother and what a wonderful experience that was for her.
Questions to explore
How might we enable people to create their own networks based on their interests and the connections they want to form?
Technology usage needs to be supported.
Many of the participants initially relied on family and friends to get them set up with the technology.
People with little technology access could benefit from simple connections with family and friends, or organised groups. People with a high level of technical ability could apply their skills to ‘mentoring’ others.
We found that technology offerings would work best as an extension of existing social and service touch points (e.g. aged care facilities). The aim would be to help users build trust in (trustworthy) online communities, and confidence in their own technology use.
Questions to explore
How might we facilitate and create communities through technology, rather than simply training people how to use technology?
Reflections and applications of this research
COVID-19 has created a plethora of challenges for elderly people and people living with disabilities in remaining connected, as social distancing is preventing face-to-face contact with family and friends. Visitors are now not able to visit nursing homes; physical groups such as the University of the Third Age are no longer running; and people are restricted in their attendance at funerals and limited in their ability to attend hospitals to say final goodbyes to loved ones.
This research highlights the need for the Government, NFPs and networks of aged care facilities to consider the potential role of technology in fostering social connection during these unprecedented times.
The project finding that relates most specifically to the current landscape is the need for online communities to be a supported service. This includes training on how to set up and use devices and online platforms, as well as ongoing support.
