By Monica Blake. This is the second section of three. This article appears in both the print and web versions of Ariadne.
In the United States and Canada, there are many instances of how the Internet is being used by older people. Services range from large online communities like SeniorNet, through official initiatives such as the Seniors site from the Office of the Minister Responsible for Seniors in Ontario, to local projects like SAINTS. A selection of sites is described below.
Age of Reason is aimed at people over 50 who don't want to spend the rest of their lives in 'Never Ending Cyberspace'. Offering over 5000 links to sites of interest to this age group, it has three geographical sections: Canada, International and USA. There is a strong travel element as well as a Seniors Discount Mall.
Created by Martha Gore in Tucson in 1996, Cyberspace Seniors was designed by seniors for seniors connected to the Internet. It is dedicated to the purpose of teaching, learning and sharing about the Internet.
Compiled by Bruce Craig at the U.S. Administration on Aging, this site includes links to many other sites. It is organised in menus on: aging topic; aging organization; academic/research; and international sites. In addition, it contains options on other aging site directories and search engine site indices. According to Post (1996), it is strong on links to government agencies and organisations providing community services.
ElderWeb is an online community of older adult computer users. Founded in 1994 by the Arts and Science Division of Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton, Alberta, it is designed to provide services to all adults over 45 in North America. Yearly fees are CD$69 for individual membership and CD$89 for household membership.
This site provides an alphabetical list of 92 sites on topics of interest to older people (including several mentioned here). Its coverage includes academic organisations like the Gerontological Society of America, mental health sites (eg Depression Connections, GriefNet, and Psychology Self-Help Resources on the Internet) and unusual sites such as Fathers Cattery (training cats to be helpful to senior abused citizens) and 1997 World Senior Games.
The NCEA performs clearinghouse functions, develops and disseminates information, provides training and technical assistance, and conducts research. It uses its site to provide information on elder abuse, including statistics and publications.
OCSCO (The Ontario Coalition of Senior Citizens' Organizations) represents the concerns of senior citizens across the province of Ontario, and is dedicated to providing opportunities for older people to become involved and participate in society. The Web site gives details about the various initiatives OCSCO is involved in: action such as lobbying; policy development on issues like health care; public education in the form of workshops to assist older people to understand social programmes and new legislation; research on issues of relevance to older people; outreach; and alliances.
SAINTS provides a link between high school students and senior citizens in the Toronto region. The students are available after school hours and at weekends to assist older people and adults with long or short-term physical disabilities with a variety of services. The services include shopping, cleaning, light housekeeping, painting, gardening, letter writing and snow shovelling.
Officially opened in March 1995, SCIP describes itself as the oldest Canadian seniors online information system available on the Internet. It allows older adults to explore the use of computers and communication technology. A project of Creative Retirement Manitoba, it is funded by Seniors Independence Program, Health Canada.
Computer systems equipped with standard software, multimedia, Internet access and laser printers have been placed in six senior centres in Manitoba. Older adults have access to these computers to explore the technology. Support groups of seniors with computer experience are available at each centre to help beginners.
The SCIP Web site provides such features as CyberPals, Web Discussion, Health Line and Seniors' Home Pages. It contains information on health, lifestyle, finance and special needs, as well as a section on Canadian geography. There are links to selected sites of interest.
SeniorCom was started by Tom Poole following a search for a senior living community for his grandmother. Realising that information for the 50+ market was not readily available, he started his own company, SeniorCom. Key areas of the site are:
SeniorNet is one of the better known groups and has been widely written about [4]. It was started as a research project at the University of San Francisco in 1986 by Dr Mary Furlong, and in 1990 was incorporated as an independent non-profit organisation with a mission to build a community of computer-using seniors. It aims to provide adults of 55 and older with education for and access to computer technologies to enable them to enhance their lives and share their wisdom and experiences.
Membership has grown from 22 in 1988 to over 22,000 in early 1998. SeniorNet offers computer classes at over 100 Learning Centers around the USA, and hosts two thriving online communities (one on the Web and one on America Online) providing resources for and engagement of the senior community. In addition, it conducts research on the uses of computer and communications technologies by older adults.
SeniorNet Online features discussion forums, live chat in the Community Center and a membership directory. Forum topics include: U.S. military; gardening; books, discussion and reviews; widows and widowers; divorced pals; genealogy research; bridge players; Alzheimer's/dementia support; collecting; language clubs; animal friends; politics; senior entrepreneurs; travel; and writing.
Ann Wrixon, Executive Director since 15 September 1997, reports that during 1998 SeniorNet will concentrate its efforts on increasing the number of Learning Centers, particularly in lower-income communities, as well as reviewing the curriculum provided to the Centers. It will also explore other methods of providing information about computer technology to older adults who want and need it.
This site from the Government of Ontario provides access to information of interest to older people, their families and those who work with older people. As well as supplying public service type information, it has links to other sites. It issues a disclaimer for these other sites warning that they are 'for reference only and are not maintained by the Ontario government'.
SPRINT (Senior Peoples' Resources in North Toronto) is a non-profit social agency providing a wide range of home support services to help older and disabled people in North Toronto maintain independent lives in the community. The Web site includes pages on caregiver support, personal support, volunteer opportunities and social programmes. Examples of caregiver support are: home help, respite care, meals on wheels, footcare clinic and shopping.
This Web-based community was started by Third Age Media, Inc, which was founded in 1996 by Mary Furlong (the founder of SeniorNet). The company's mission is to develop communities for Third Agers which build on their knowledge and experience. It believes that older adults are vital contributors - not merely consumers - and that they have vital ideas and knowledge to share.
The Third Age site has a magazine feel about it. The home page has bright headlines announcing feature stories and sections like Connect, Explore and Marketplace. The Marketplace has a shopping guide, books and music, cards and gifts, electronics store, financial services, gourmet shop, health and beauty, real estate, travel services and classifieds. There are links to 'essential healthy living sites' like Wellness, Caregiving, Diet & Fitness, and Mental Health.M
Previous Section | Next section
[4] Furlong, M. and Lipson, S.B. Young@heart: computing for seniors. Berkeley, CA: Osborne, 1996.
Material on this page is copyright Ariadne/original authors. This article last updated/links checked on 20-Feb-1998