Break isolation, share a photo

Researchers at the University of Melbourne’s Institute for a Broadband-Enabled Society, in collaboration with Victorian not-for-profit aged care service provider Benetas have developed an iPad application allowing participants to create and share photographs and messages with each other.

The researchers found that communications technologies are effective in alleviating social isolation, but cannot achieve this alone as face-to-face engagement remains an essential part of developing connections.

Chief investigator, Associate Professor Frank Vetere from the Department of Computing and Information Systems, tells DPS News social isolation among older Australians is a “real problem” and requires a bigger solution than simply “giving them Facebook” as a means of communicating with people.

“It’s a deeper human problem and technology needs to play a role,” he added.

According to Professor Vetere, the iPad application called Engagement through Media Sharing was developed following many interviews which were conducted with seven Benetas clients who are aged between 77 and 93 years and identified as socially isolated.

“There was some resistance early on, which is not surprising, but I guess the benefits are not so much the app fulfilling all their needs, but creating a social connection trigger for someone to pick up a phone and make contact. The app is not supposed to be the complete solution, but it’s attempting to break the gridlock,” he says.

The app is a way to create and exchange photographs and messages in a “quiet and gentle” manner.

Participants in the trial and their care managers were provided with touch tablet devices for a period of 10 weeks. During this time, investigators conducted interviews and made observations to gauge their experiences of the technology.

Pictured are Benetas clients, Bob and Imelda, who were involved in the iPad study.

Benetas research development manager, Alan Gruner, tells DPS News as a person ages it becomes “more and more difficult” to maintain contacts.

“There’s no escaping technology. People are ageing in general and the population will only become more and more literature with technology.

Mr Gruner says he wants to see the app eventually make it easier for families, care managers and health professionals to remain in touch with the older person; however, he reiterated the importance of face-to-face contact.

The Australian Research Council is supporting a larger trial of the technology, which is due to commence later this year.

Benetas donated the iPads to the study’s participants and a follow-up revealed they are still using them today.