AGES 2.0
Research Procedure overview
Overview
• The number and quality of social relationships has important
consequences for individual health and well-being.
• People with broader social networks, and who are active across multiple
social groups:
- Adjust to change better (Iyer et al., 2009)
- Are more resilient (Jones & Jetten, 2011; Cohen et al., 1997)
- Live longer (Holt-Lunstad, et al., 2010)
• Supporting individuals to create and maintain social connections is an
important focus for public health (Cacioppo & Hawkley, 2003)
Overview
• Aging coincides with:
- Reduced physical mobility
- Difficulties of communication
- Increased social isolation
- Reduced cognitive and mental health
• Social media has the potential to overcome physical constraints,
improve communication and social connections and through this support
health and well-being.
Overview
• Early studies (McConatha et al., 1994, 1995) show positive effects of training
older adults in care to use online computing facilities:
- Improved daily living skills
- Improved cognitive function
- Reduced depression
• More recent work (Slegers et al, 2008; White et al., 2002) suggests few
psychosocial benefits of computer and internet training for older adults in
the community.
Current Aims
• To investigate further the effects of social media training on older adults:
- Feelings of social inclusion
- Cognitive functioning
- Mental health and well-being
• To compare the effects of social media training across older adults in
care and those residing in the community
Current Aims
Use
Social Media
Training
Cognitive
Health
Social
Inclusion
Mental
Health
30E
30E
30E
60D
120
30C
60R
30E
30C
1.
2.
3.
4.
Recruitment
Baseline
Training
Follow-up
Experimental design
30E
30E
30C
30E
30E
30E
30E
30C
Recruitment
• Locate willing and able participants aged 60+
- Residential & domiciliary
• Initial screening by care staff/ carers to indicate potential ability:
- Cognitive Function
- Mobility & Movement
- Space
- Time
Does the client have:
 Good awareness of who they are and where they are?
 Ability to communicate reasonably with others?
 Good comprehension and can read independently?
 Ability to follow simple instructions?
 No significant cognitive/memory impairment?
 Family/carer support in the home?
 No significant mood-related (anxiety/depression)
problems?
 Sufficient dexterity/ freedom of movement to use a simple
computer?
• Eligible participants contacted for baseline assessment
Baseline
• Health and well-being:
• Addenbrookes Cognitive Examination Revised (ACE-R)
• General Health questionnaire
• CES Depression (short)
• Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (short)
• Satisfaction with life
• Competence & Autonomy
• Social connections:
• UCLA loneliness Scale (short)
• Exeter Identity and Transitions Scale
• Attitudes about computers
• Use and perceived utility
Training
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
• 10 clients per Care Technician
Feb
C1 (4.5hrs)
C1 (4.5 hrs)
C1 (4.5hrs)
C1 (4.5hrs)
• Weeks 1 – 4:
March
C1 (1hr)
C2 (4.5hrs)
C1 (2hr)
C2 (4.5 hrs)
C1 (1hr)
C2 (4.5 hrs)
C1 (2hr)
C2 (4.5 hrs)
April
C1 (1hr)
C2 (1hr)
C3 (4.5hrs)
C1 (2hr)
C2 (1hr)
C3 (4.5hrs)
C1 (1hr)
C2 (1hr)
C3 (4.5hrs)
C1 (2hr)
C2 (1hr)
C3 (4.5hrs)
May
C2 (1hr)
C3 (1hr)
C4 (4.5hrs)
C2 (2hr)
C3 (2hr)
C4 (4.5hrs)
C2 (1hr)
C3 (1hr)
C4 (4.5hrs)
C2 (2hr)
C3 (2hr)
C4 (4.5hrs)
• 3 x 1.5 hour sessions:
• EasyPC (45 min)
• Life History (45min)
• Weeks 5 – 12:
• 1 hour telephone/ email contact per fortnight
• 1 hour face-to-face contact alternating fortnights
• Care technicians log client progress, computer use, and degree of contact
Training
• Week 1:
• Introducing computer and broadband technology, accessing the internet, and using
email.
• Start developing a Life History folder and begin identifying and collating materials.
• Week 2:
• Introduce Skype technology (e.g., receiving Skype, making a Skype call, managing
address book).
• Week 3
• Introduction to network sites (online communities and chat rooms of interest such as
Senior Chatters, Reminiscence, SilverSurfers).
• Week 4:
• Life History folder collated and ready for sharing with capacity to extend with new
materials.
Training
• Weeks 5-8:
• Regular reminders to engage with technology
• Opportunities to ask questions and receive further support
• Monitoring of progress
• Weeks 9-12:
• Independent use + regular monitoring of progress
Follow-up
• Health and well-being:
• Experiences with easyPC
• ACE-R
• General Health questionnaire
• CES Depression (short)
• Experiences with care
technician
• Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (short)
• Satisfaction with life
• Competence & Autonomy
• Social connections:
• UCLA loneliness Scale (short)
• Exeter Identity and Transitions Scale
• Attitudes about computers
• Use and perceived utility
• Satisfaction/ desire to
continue using facility
Questions and comments?
Contact me:
[email protected]