Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Information Systems for the Social Well-Being of Senior Australians

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Building Sustainable Information Systems

  • 1525 Accesses

Abstract

In most developed countries, the ageing population is placing a severe strain on health systems and national budgets. In meeting this challenge, e-health initiatives seek medically focused ICT solutions for improved health services that enable senior citizens to remain living at home longer. A literature review and interviews with healthcare providers reveal that significant factors affecting the well-being of the elderly are isolation and loneliness. In this paper we report on the first stages of a study on the digital literacy of seniors and the potential development of social media to meet the capabilities of people as they age. Focus groups with senior citizen computer club members tell us that older folk are becoming more digitally literate. As social media becomes more usable and acceptable, we propose that online communities for senior citizens may have significant health benefits. As this is a multifaceted emergent phenomenon, we apply concepts from Complexity Theory to our analysis and to the design of future research on this topic using an action research methodology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Anon (2010) Older adults’ use of social media nearly doubles. Telecomm Rep 76(18):34

    Google Scholar 

  2. AGD (2010) Australia to 2050: future challenges. Attorney-General’s Department Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra

    Google Scholar 

  3. ADHA (2011) Older Australians and the internet: bridging the digital divide. National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre (NSPAC), Australia Department of Health and Ageing, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  4. AHRC (2000) Accessibility of electronic commerce and new services and information technologies for older Australians and people with a disability. Report of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Canberra

    Google Scholar 

  5. Ballantyne A, Trenwith L, Zubrinich S, Corlis M (2010) “I feel less lonely”: what older people say about participating in a social networking website. Qual Ageing Older Adults 11(3):25–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Budde P (2009) Australia: the national broadband network. PressReleasePoint. Posted 4 Nov 2009 by BuddeComm. http://www.pressreleasepoint.com/print/391710

  7. Budde P (2010) Australia: the national broadband network. BuddeBlog. Jul 2010. http://www.buddeblog.com.au/frompaulsdesk/australia-the-national-broadband-network

  8. Campbell R (2010) Giving it all she’s got. Northern Echo. [Darlington (UK)] 23 Oct

    Google Scholar 

  9. Chadwick A (2011) Explaining the failure of an online citizen engagement initiative: the role of internal institutional variables. J IT Polit 8:21–40

    Google Scholar 

  10. Chung JE, Park N et al (2010) Age differences in perceptions of online community participation among non-users: an extension of the technology acceptance model. Comput Human Behav 26(6):1674–1684

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Coughlan S (2011) Loneliness is “hidden killer” of elderly http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12324231

  12. Dickinson A, Gregor P (2006) Computer use has no demonstrated impact on the well-being of older adults. Int J Human Comput Stud 64:744–753

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Etchemendy E, Baños RM, Botella C, Castilla D, Alcañiz M, Rasal P, Farfallin L (2011) An e-health platform for the elderly population: the butler system. Comput Educ 56(1):275–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Erickson L (2011) Social media, social capital and seniors: the impact of facebook on bonding and bridging social capital of individuals over 65. Americas Conference on Information Systems, Detroit, USA

    Google Scholar 

  15. Erickson J, Johnson GM (2011) Internet use and psychological wellness during late adulthood. Can J Aging 30(2):197–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Ford G, Ford S (2009) Internet use and depression among the elderly. Phoenix Center Policy Paper, Number 38. Oct 2009

    Google Scholar 

  17. Golden J, Conroy R, Bruce I, Denihan A, Greene E, Kirby M, Lawlor B (2009) Loneliness, social support networks, mood and wellbeing in community-dwelling elderly. Int J Geriatr Psychiatr 24/7:694–700

    Google Scholar 

  18. Interlandi J (2011) Facebook-like portal helps teens with Crohn’s Collaborate on medical research. Sci Am 305(3):66–69

    Google Scholar 

  19. Kehoe J, Bednall ETC et al (2009) Training adult novices to use computers: effects of different types of illustrations. Comput Human Behav 25(2):275–283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Kurtz C, Snowden D (2003) The new dynamics of strategy: sense-making in a complex and complicated world. IBM Syst J 42(3):462–483

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Madden M (2010) Older adults and social media: social networking use among those ages 50 or older nearly doubled over the past year. Pew Internet and American Life Project: Pew Research Center. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Older-Adults-and-Social-Media.aspx

  22. McKay H (2011) The unfocussed group discussion technique. Presentation at the IIBSoR Retreat. 6 Jul 2011

    Google Scholar 

  23. Mellor D, Firth L, Moore K (2008) Can the internet improve the well-being of the elderly? Ageing Int 32:25–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Mitleton-Kelly E (2005) A Complexity approach to co-creating an innovative environment. World Futures 62/3:223–239

    Google Scholar 

  25. Mitleton-Kelly E (2011) A complexity theory approach to sustainability: a longitudinal study in two London NHS hospitals. Learn Organ Int J 18(45):53

    Google Scholar 

  26. Norrie J (2012) Loneliness on the rise as our cities atomise. http://theconversation.edu.au/loneliness-on-the-rise-as-our-cities-atomise-6068

  27. Norval C, Arnott J, Hine N, Hanson V (2011) Purposeful social media as support platform: communication frameworks for older adults requiring care. ATTACH, Dublin

    Google Scholar 

  28. Palmer S (2011) Where do I start? Female seniors and the internet, Council on the aging (WA). Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, Sydney

    Google Scholar 

  29. Parry D (2011) Mobile perspectives on: teaching: mobile literacy. EDUCAUSE Rev 46(2):14–18

    Google Scholar 

  30. Pew Internet (2010) Spring Change Assessment Survey 2010. Princeton Survey Research Associates International for Pew Research Center. 29 Apr–30 May 2010

    Google Scholar 

  31. Phoenix Center (2009) Press release: internet cuts depression among senior citizens. http://www.phoenix-center.org. Accessed 15 Oct 2009

  32. Sum S, Mathews R, Pourghasem M, Hughes I (2009) Internet use as a predictor of sense of community in older people. CyberPsychol Behav 12(2):235–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Xie B, Jaeger P (2008) Computer training programs for older adults at the public library. Public Libr 2008:52–59

    Google Scholar 

  34. Xie B, Bugg J (2009) Public library computer training for older adults to access high-quality internet health information. Libr Inform Sci Res 31:155–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Wollongong Australia, Wollongong, NSW, Australia

    Lois Burgess, Helen Hasan & Carole Alcock

Authors
  1. Lois Burgess
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Helen Hasan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Carole Alcock
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lois Burgess .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Monash University, Caaulfield East, Victoria, Australia

    Henry Linger

  2. Monash University, Caulfield East, Victoria, Australia

    Julie Fisher

  3. Box Hill Institute, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia

    Andrew Barnden

  4. National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

    Chris Barry

  5. National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

    Michael Lang

  6. City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR

    Christoph Schneider

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this paper

Cite this paper

Burgess, L., Hasan, H., Alcock, C. (2013). Information Systems for the Social Well-Being of Senior Australians. In: Linger, H., Fisher, J., Barnden, A., Barry, C., Lang, M., Schneider, C. (eds) Building Sustainable Information Systems. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7540-8_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7540-8_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7539-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7540-8

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation