Alleszelf.nl, a big platform for older adults in our home country, the Netherlands, has recently collaborated with two other organizations – SeniorWise and computer manufacturer Paradigit – to research the following question: which technological functions do older adults perceive as the most important? To our delight, the top ten of the most important functions are exactly those that our GoLivePhone app offers in the most user friendly, easy-to-operate way possible!
197 older adults were part of the test group, which furthermore consisted of 51% women and 49% men. The youngest participant was 53, the oldest 93. More than half of the participants indicated that they use a tablet or smartphone on a daily basis, and three quarters of the group owned a computer – once again breaking down the stigma that ‘older adults do not use technology’!
This is what their top ten of most important technological functions looked like:
- E-mailing
- Online banking
- Browsing the internet
- Contact information
- Making phonecalls
- Staying up-to-date on the news
- Automatically alert a(n informal) caregiver in case of a fall
- Being able to ask for help with a single push of a button
- Being able to let a(n informal) caregiver know that everything is ok with just one push of a button
The first half of the list consists of things that are available on any smartphone, but that we have made much easier to operate – making them available to anyone, regardless of age and technological know-how. The second half, however – with the exception of Whatsapp and the news – consists of functions that are not only central to our technology, but also largely unavailable on normal smartphones.
They are the things that can change the way we age and care for each other; since they make it possible for older adults to live at home way longer than they normally could. And, in addition: they can play a great role in keeping health care affordable – now and in the future – in spite of the rapidly ageing population.
It is, therefore, exactly this combination of regular functionalities made easy and extra assistance in the form of sophisticated apps that run in the background (but that are never intrusive – let alone stigmatizing) that makes our GoLivePhone app the perfect device for any active, up-to-date and independent older adult!
The (Dutch) results of the research can be found here.
