Methodology for involving elderly people in social networking Claudia Hildebrand Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging WG Medis Medical Informationsystems
Content Introduction to the project Overwiew Objectives Research Issues Methodology for social networking of elderly persons Assumptions Methods Preliminary Results Outlook
The Project Join-In / Mach-mit Senior citizens overcoming barriers by joining fun activities
Goal of the project To build a social network for elderly homebound people To develop attractive age-specific socialising activities as part of the network Helping people to escape social isolation by Supporting people to set up and maintain contacts to the outside world Encouraging and increasing communication Providing a methodology and the technologies for elderly persons to participate in social activities and have fun via digital media
Join-In Social Platform
Customised Controllers
Motivation Elderly people often face isolation Often live alone Handicapped and cannot leave their homes Social isolation often results in poor health Happy & content people are healthier Socialising counteracts the onset of many diseases Computer Games train cognitive skills, reaction times, and self-esteem Exercising contributes to mental and physical health Demographic Reasons
Demographic aging - Europe Year Total Population 1999 82,2 m 35% 2009 82,0 m 40% Percentage 50+ 2019 80,3 m 47% Forecast Germany By 2050 the median age in EU27 will be 48 years
HMGU Tasks Project Coordination Development Social network Video Conferencing Exercises Evaluation Involvement Requirement analysis Piloting Exploitation plan Methodology
Join-In Methodology for involving elderly people in social networking
Goal Attracting elderly (homebound) persons to get interested in social networking to join the network and to become active to be active to stay active
Assumption Get interested Get started Be active Stay active Analyse the Target Group Address the Target Group Usability of the System Extendibility System Analyse the Interests Meet the interests Analyse the Barriers Remove Barriers Attend to the users Infrastructure Motivation Motivation Motivation Marketing Information & Training Marketing
Methods Literature study User analysis favourite activities and games fears daily activities attitude towards exercising and exergames technical preliminaries Piloting
Definition of the Target Group Elderly are a very heterogeneous group; no identifiable target group Many different classification schemes, e.g. age, behaviour, interests, consuming habits, health care needs Addressing the elderly Elderly do not consider themselves as being old Beware of stigmatising Acceptance of a technology/ service does not depend on its prize, yet elderly do not like to take financial risks Elderly rely on their own experience and on recommendations from friends more than other age groups Elderly are less confident in their own abilities Many elderly have to cope with physical limitations
Vision Decline Demand on Light Demand on Light Hearing Age
Age related cognitive decline http://youcanstaysharp.com/
Interests /Activities Family Contact to others Communication Nature/garden TV Leisure Seniors like to feel they are needed For the elderly an activity has to be meaningful to be pursued
Key Barriers Identified Affordability of the technologies Computer illiteracy Fears Mishandling the technology /technophobia Incompetence with the technologies Loosing their privacy & lack of data protection Afraid the technology will be controlling their lifestyles and behavioural changes will be required Lacking motivation Not seeing the benefits Missing skills Lacking Confidence
Get interested Get started Be active Stay active Target Group Interests Meet the interests Barriers Access to Technologies Access to Technologies Fears Address Fears Missing Motivation Motivation Lack of Confidence Create confidence
Access to the Technologies Affordable Accessible Usable user-based design and development easy to use (few functionalities) adaptable and customisable clear layout Secure Closed Network Training
Creating Confidence Results from User Analysis Fears towards the new technology can be counteracted by intensive support and involvement of the user The acceptance of the project and its products correlate with the trust in the researchers and the knowledge that any involvement is voluntary Exergames raise the users confidence and motivate them to try something new Exergames were well liked by the elderly Creating Confidence Provide trust Improve the skills Information Training
Motivation in Elderly - Motivation Concepts Motivation, as used in psychology, is the force that initiates and guides behaviour. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (often used in education and social studies) Intrinsic motivation is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself, and exists within the individual. It does not rely on any external pressure. Extrinsic motivation is driven by external incentives such as money, grades, or prizes. Indications that Women are more intrinsically motivated than men Elderly people are mostly intrinsically motivated
Motivation in Elderly- Quality-of-Life in the Elderly Quality-of-Life is determined by psychological, social and physiological factors Poor pension adequacy, living in a deprived area, poor health, having recently had a bad experience, result in a lower Quality-of-Life No single factor could be found that determines Quality-of-Life Social contact per se cannot be attributed benefit for some people it means stress and conflict The mental and emotional state of a person plays the largest part in determining his/her feeling of well being Age-related limitations have little influence on the QoL of very old persons Subjective wellbeing refers mostly to a positive outlook on life
Motivation in Elderly - Loneliness Distinguish Social loneliness - lack of social integration and embeddedness Emotional loneliness - a reliable partner, friend is missing Aloneness, isolation, lack of social support Depression Results No clear relationship between age and loneliness There seems to be an indication that married persons feel less lonely Parents feel less lonely -even if the child lives far away No clear indication on any differences between women and men Loneliness seems to depend on a person s personality
Motivation - Elderly in Rehabilitation Self-efficacy is a determinant Depends on intrinsic/extrinsic motivation Negative influences Perceived Cost: money, risk of failure, pain, fatigue Inclination to remain sedentary: perceived value of avoiding the exercise Positive influences Perceived chance of success If the users feel an exercise is important to them they are more likely to do it Being an expert in their own care encourages the individual Doing exercises with people (same age group) in the same situation encourages most people
Motivation-Live-long Learning There is no age limit to learning The brain can build new synapses between its neurons and thus increase its efficiency live-long Neurogenesis which supports learning and the potential of the brain takes place all through adults life Physical activity has a positive effect on the creation of new neurons Concentration and thoroughness increase with age Curiosity and the desire to study are not age-related
Assumption Involving Users Get interested Join & become active Be active Stay active Target Group Interests Barriers Access to Technologies Fears Missing Motivation Lack of Confidence Access to Technologies Affordability Accessibility Usability Security Literacy Training Match Interests Confidence Improve Skills Create Trust Motivation Motivation in the Elderly Show Benefits Usability Beneficial & attractive technologies Improve Skills Address Fears Motivation Usability of the System Attend to the users
How to get the elderly to be active in Join-In Motivation Keep on demonstrating the benefits Provide learning effects Emphasise that social networking is supporting the user, but that it is the user doing it Usability of the social network Easy to use Robust, reliable Adaptable to the users diversities Provide a helpline
Attend to the User Set up groups with people in the same situation Meet the interests of the users Include useful functions Keep telling the users why they are using the social network Mastery of information is very important to the elderly; they are and want to be experts in what they are doing Be attentive, take your time Regular contacts/events Consistency is very important for elderly persons Acknowledge that the elderly is taking part and what he/she accomplished Increase the users self-efficacy
Assumption Involving Users Get interested Join & become active Be active Stay active Target Group Interests Barriers Access to Technologies Fears Missing Motivation Lack of Confidence Access to Technologies Affordability Accessibility Usability Security Literacy Training Match Interests Confidence Improve Skills Motivation Motivation in the Elderly Show Benefits Usability Beneficial & attractive technologies Improve Skills Address Fears Technology Usable Reliable Useful Adaptable Motivation Show benefits Positive feedback Enable the user Extendibility System Infrastructure Motivation Marketing Create Trust Attend to users Marketing
How to get the elderly to stay active in Join-In Motivation Elderly have to stay motivated Elderly have to keep seeing the benefits Keep the users interested Support by positive reinforcement and constant feedback Provide an attractive community Be attentive Infrastructure Service Technology Marketing
Methodology Involving Users Get interested Join & become active Be active Stay active Target Group Interests Barriers Access to Technologies Fears Missing Motivation Lack of Confidence Access to Technologies Affordability Accessibility Usability Security Literacy Training Match Interests Confidence Improve Skills Create Trust Motivation Motivation in the Elderly Show Benefits Usability Beneficial & attractive technologies Improve Skills Address Fears Technology Usable Reliable Useful Adaptable Motivation Show benefits Positive feedback Enable the user Attend to users Technology Extendable Infrastructure Technology Attendance Motivation Show benefits Positive feedback Enable the user
Summary - Preliminary results Provide affordable, secure and usable technologies to a target group that has been clearly defined Meet the users interests and include functions that the user considers as useful Provide training to overcome computer illiteracy and to provide the necessary skills Gaining new skills will make the elderly confident Encourage the elderly to act as contributor to her/his own motivation, behaviour and development Provide information to the users; if the users feel an activity is important to them they are more likely to do it Provide trust and attendance to the elderly users Set up groups with people in the same situation; this often encourages the elderly user
Outlook Computer literacy Involvement homebound persons Research other issues in more detail Do the piloting Evaluate the assumptions Assess whether there are any differences in different countries mainly Hungary and Germany
Thank you for your attention Thanks to Jutta Balint Alfred Breier Phillip Steiner José López Bolós Hans Demski Stefanie Wengel