Facebook and the Elderly: The Benefits of Social Media Adoption for Aged Care Facility Residents

We explore the emotional effects of implementing Facebook in an aged care facility and evaluate whether computers and Facebook are of any benefit in regard to an elderly person’s feeling of social connectedness. This preliminary qualitative study took place in a Melbourne-based elected Aged Care Facility. Facebook was accessed through desktop computers provided by the Facility.

[1]  H. Feist,et al.  New technologies: Their potential role in linking rural older people to community , 2010 .

[2]  W. B. Fain,et al.  Examining social media use among older adults , 2013, HT.

[3]  Anne Marie Piper,et al.  Understanding digital and material social communications for older adults , 2014, CHI.

[4]  C. Greaves,et al.  Interventions targeting social isolation in older people: a systematic review , 2011, BMC public health.

[5]  Janice E Graham,et al.  Prevalence and severity of cognitive impairment with and without dementia in an elderly population , 1997, The Lancet.

[6]  Peter Vickerman,et al.  A dose-response relationship between exposure to a large-scale HIV preventive intervention and consistent condom use with different sexual partners of female sex workers in southern India , 2011, BMC public health.

[7]  M. Mickus,et al.  Televisits: Sustaining long distance family relationships among institutionalized elders through technology , 2002, Aging & mental health.

[8]  L. Carstensen,et al.  The influence of anxiety and mental status on social isolation among the elderly in nursing homes , 1988 .

[9]  E. Saunders,et al.  MAXIMIZING COMPUTER USE AMONG THE ELDERLY IN RURAL SENIOR CENTERS , 2004 .

[10]  M. Pinquart,et al.  Influences on Loneliness in Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis , 2001 .

[11]  T. Seeman Health Promoting Effects of Friends and Family on Health Outcomes in Older Adults , 2000, American journal of health promotion : AJHP.

[12]  O. Dalgard,et al.  Psychosocial risk factors and mortality: a prospective study with special focus on social support, social participation, and locus of control in Norway. , 1998, Journal of epidemiology and community health.

[13]  C. J. Hutto,et al.  Social Media Gerontology: Understanding Social Media Usage among a Unique and Expanding Community of Users , 2014, 2014 47th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.

[14]  N. Abeles,et al.  Anxiety and Depression: Implications for Older Adults , 1999 .

[15]  G. Demiris,et al.  A promising technology to reduce social isolation of nursing home residents. , 2006, Journal of nursing care quality.

[16]  C. Brulin,et al.  Family members' narrated experiences of communicating via video-phone with patients with dementia staying at a nursing home , 2003, Journal of telemedicine and telecare.