A new report, “Fly Like an Eagle: Measuring Transformational Social Outcomes Among Seniors Using Technology,” shows how access to technology devices and innovative training programs can be transformational for older adults—combating social isolation, loneliness, and depression while improving quality of life.

Presented by Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP, the report also provides a blueprint for cities and communities looking to implement their own digital inclusion programs. The AARP Foundation is a LeadingAge CAST Patron.

The findings are based on an emergency initiative that started soon after the pandemic, according to an OATS statement. Through Connected NYCHA, older adults living in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residences received free internet-connected tablets and training and hotline support.

This public-private partnership joined OATS, T-Mobile, and various NYC government agencies. T-Mobile provided 10,000 free tablets and connectivity to older adults, while OATS provided free training services through its flagship program, Senior Planet. An applied-research collaboration with Professor York Cornwell examined the program’s effect on social engagement, symptoms of depression, or feelings of isolation.

Findings

The report’s executive summary shares these findings:

• Over 50% of the participants in the training group reported making a new social contact via email, social media, or text. This was more than twice the rate of the control group, which did not receive training.
• 60% reported participating in “something new” like an event or social group—more than double the rate of people who did not participate in training.
• Gains in social connectedness to friends and family during the program were approximately 20 percentage points higher among the group receiving training.
• While both groups reported similar outcomes on improvements in depression symptoms, those receiving training were about half as likely to report worsening symptoms, suggesting a possible protective effect.
• More than half of the participants in training reported less frequent feelings of loneliness after the program—more than 20 percentage points higher than the control group.

“The results show that technology training plays an important role in strengthening the benefits of technology adoption and usage,” the report authors wrote. “The results come at a critical time for those making policy or developing programs related to older adults and technology, presenting new data that can help demonstrate the value of these programs in terms of social engagement and well-being among a vulnerable population of low-income elders.”

Read the full report.

Special Session on Engagement Technology

For more on the benefits of engagement technology, be sure to attend a special session on the Aging Services Technologies track at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting + EXPO. The meeting takes place Oct. 16-19, 2022, in Denver, Colorado. Register today!

4-C. Engagement Technology: A Post-Pandemic Necessity

Sunday, October 16, 2022

4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

The pandemic taught providers of aging services that engagement technology, once a novelty in our field, is now a necessity. This session will explore what engagement really means and how technology can be harnessed to connect residents to families, friends, and your organization’s team members.

Representatives of a technology company specializing in engagement software will educate you about technology options that support engagement, identify best practices for introducing technology-enabled engagement programming, and share recent research on the ability of engagement technology to reduce social isolation, loneliness, depression, and anxiety.

Listen as a provider describes the experience of implementing engagement technology in skilled nursing and assisted living settings, including lessons learned during the implementation process and benefits residents enjoyed after the rollout.

Speakers:

• Jack York, Co-Founder/President, TaleGate
• Lydia Nguyen, Lead Researcher, iN2L + LifeLoop
• Michelle Daniel, VP of Leadership Development, Methodist Senior Services

Register today!

LeadingAge CAST Resources

If you are considering offering resident technology support at your organization, check out a recent Tech Time article, “Popularity of Tech Concierges Grows.”

Be sure to also access the Resident/Client Technology Support and Training White Paper and Guide from LeadingAge CAST, which presents various support, training, and business models for providing resident/client technology support.

If you are looking at tech solutions, use the Social Connectedness and Engagement Technology Tool from LeadingAge CAST, which will help you learn about these technologies and choose the one that best fits your organization’s needs.