Monica Blake describes some findings from the Internet and Older People Project, funded by The British Library Research and Innovation Centre Digital Library Research Programme. This article appears in both the print and Web versions of Ariadne.
The number of older people in the UK is growing. At the same time, use of the Internet is expanding rapidly. A recent BLRIC report [1] brought together material concerning these trends in an attempt to explore the possible contribution the Internet could make to the lives of older people. After looking at information and older people from a library and information perspective, it considered questions of access to the Internet, Internet resources, and the current use of the Internet by older people. This article focuses on Internet resources, but first it gives an overview of the project.
In the above-mentioned study, older people were taken to be adults aged 60 and over. However, several services and resources for older people aimed at those of 50+ are included. With people living longer and staying healthy until a greater age, there is increasing interest in the needs of a population which is ageing but active.
There is great diversity among older people, in their interests and education, as well as in their degrees of fitness and level of income. Many older people are among the poorest in the community, while others have considerable financial resources and are targeted as new consumers. Some researchers focus on chronological age, while others stress the importance of specific events such as loss of occupation or illness.
Retirement is an aspect of life shared by the majority of older people. For many, the additional time associated with retirement provides an opportunity to explore new horizons, by travelling, studying or developing their interests.
The fact that many older people are out of employment or formal education means that they are unable to learn about or access the Internet at work or college, and may have retired before PCs became widely used in the workplace. Some use the extra time available to learn about computer technology and the Internet; others are deterred by their lack of experience.
The study does not lay emphasis on health problems suffered by older people, but it retains an awareness of such common physiological changes as declining vision and arthritis-related complaints. While some older people cope perfectly well with computer technology and the Internet, others have problems with mouse and keyboard and difficulty seeing information on the screen.
For people with limited mobility, the Internet can provide new opportunities for making contact with others. For those with impaired vision, the situation is more complex: on the one hand, the Internet offers information and communication resources beyond the scope of large-print books, audio cassettes and braille; on the other hand, increasingly complicated Web pages are laborious to read with devices that convert text into speech or braille.
The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) provides information about designing a Web site so that it is fully accessible by visually impaired visitors. Among its campaigning activities, it is a member of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) so that it can influence the way HTML evolves; also it contacts Web sites that are difficult for blind people to use, and advises on improvements.
As many older people do not want to be burdened with maintaining PCs at home, it is vital that there is access to the Internet in public places, especially public libraries, and that older people are encouraged to use such facilities - that is if older people are not to be excluded from this technology.
According to National Opinion Poll statistics, in June 1997 6% of 1004 UK Internet users were aged 55+. In North America, a survey conducted by Third Age Media and the Excite Network in July/August 1997 found that 967 of 7184 respondents were aged 50+ (13.46%).
Currently, older people are using the Internet for email and searching the Web for information. In North America, where local telephone calls are free, many older people participate in online communities. A few older people create their own Web pages.
This article presents a sample of resources available on the Internet that may be of use or interest to older people. It does not attempt to be comprehensive, but aims rather to show the range of material available. Many of the sites described below lead on to further sites. For example, My Virtual Reference Desk - Seniors Online has links to 92 sites on older people.
Joyce Post, Librarian at the Philadelphia Geriatric Center, provides readers of The Gerontologist with a regular column on Internet resources on ageing [2], and Peters and Sikorski give a list of geriatric resources [3]. In addition, there is a vast amount of material aimed at academics and healthcare professionals.
The Appendix provides a list of URLs that can be photocopied to be used as quick guide to exploring the area on the Internet.
Many organisations involved with older people have set up sites on the World Wide Web. These sites serve to provide information about their services and activities. In some cases they offer information about ageing or information that might be of use to older people. Some (e.g. Age Concern) publish material on the Web, while others (e.g. Disabled Living Foundation) list the titles of their publications. Many use the site to advertise for volunteers or request donations. A few carry details of job vacancies.
The main UK sites concerning older people are those of Age Concern (http://www.ace.org.uk), Centre for Policy on Ageing (http://www.cpa.org.uk/cpa/cpa.html) and Help the Aged (http://www.vois.org.uk/hta/).
Age Concern's site is strong on campaigning and many items carry detailed news about government policies regarding older people. Press releases scrutinise government decisions, and publicity is given to topical events like 'Older People in Europe Month'. Age Concern has started publishing its factsheets on the Web. These cover such areas as health, travel and finance. The site includes a useful compilation of statistics about older people.
Age Concern offers support to local Age Concern organisations wishing to be on the Web. Its site hosts 27 such groups and provides links to a further three (Haslemere, Norfolk and West Glamorgan) on the Web. Local groups offer information about services within a particular community. For example, the site of Norfolk Age Concern carries details of bed vacancies in local residential and nursing homes.
The Centre for Policy on Ageing (CPA) aims to promote informed debate about issues affecting older age groups and stimulate awareness of the needs of older people. Its Library and Information Service produces AgeInfo, a searchable database available on CD-ROM and, as a 'limited edition' on the Internet (www.unl.ac.uk:9999/). CPA's Web site offers links to other sites.
The Help the Aged internet site informs visitors how the charity works to improve the quality of life of older people, particularly those who are frail, isolated or poor. In addition to giving statistical information about older people in the UK, it lists the services it provides along with the titles of its publications. It suggests ways in which site visitors can work with the organisation to help older people.
Several UK sites provide information on disability:
Some organisations are planning a Web presence in the future. The Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, which already uses email, is creating a Web site which will give details of its services and provide pointers towards further information. RADAR (Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation) also has plans to be on the Web. CRUSE, which provides support for bereavement, is not yet on the Internet, but may be in the future.
Hairnet is a London-based initiative which offers Internet education to people aged 50+. Its site (http://www.hairnet.org/) provides details of its courses and presents Web pages created by its students. There are some links to other sites.
Two UK consumer organisations for the over 50s are in the early stages of Web site creation. Saga, well known for its magazine and holidays, has a site at http://www.saga.co.uk/, but in early 1998 only the publishing part and a link to Saga USA could be activated. Future items will include holidays, services, investment and insurance. In November 1997, AgePower was planning not only a Web site, but also an online community (Senior Net) modelled on the American SeniorNet. However, for commercial reasons, the AgePower representative interviewed did not wish to reveal further details.
The University of the Third Age (U3A) offers informal education and recreational activities to the over 50s. Its national office in London uses email (u3auk@aol.com) and is currently preparing a Web site. A local group - Tewkesbury & District U3A - already has a site (http://www.harjin.demon.co.uk/html/body_u3a.htm). This site provides general information about U3A as well as details of local contacts and courses.
Increasing amounts of government information are appearing on the Internet (http://www.open.gov.uk). For example, the Benefits Agency gives a list of available benefits. The health pages contain such documents as Moving into a care home.
[1] Blake, M., 1998. The Internet and older people. London: British Library Research and Innovation Centre
[2] Post, J.A., 1996. Internet resources on aging. The Gerontologist, 36 (1), 11-12
[3] Peters, R. and Sikorski, R., 1997. Vintage care: geriatrics resources on the Net. JAMA, 278 (16), 22/29 October, 1299-1300
Material on this page is copyright Ariadne/original authors. This article last updated/links checked on 20-Feb-1998