Work

You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: For adults in senior living communities, information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be used to increase and expand communication for a population that is often spatially and socially separated from the general public. Using qualitative observational data from a longitudinal study of the impact of ICT usage on the quality of life among residents in assisted and independent living communities, the authors examine whether ICTs can mitigate the effects of social and spatial barriers. The authors find that ICTs have the potential to allow individuals to transcend social and spatial barriers, providing residents with the ability to maintain and enhance social networks as well as provide a greater sense of connection to the world at large.

Source: Journal of Applied Gerontology

DOI: 10.1177/0733464811431824

Authors: Vicki Winstead, William A. Anderson, Elizabeth A. Yost, Shelia R. Cotten, Amanda Warr, Ronald W. Berkowsky

Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham

Language: English

Topic: Technology Use by Older Adults

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute on Aging