Case Management Promotion of Social Media for the Elderly Who Live Alone

The effects of social media intergenerational program on depressive symptoms, intergenerational relationships, social support, and well-being in older adults: A quasi-experimental research

Depressive symptoms are common among older adults. This quasi-experimental study aims to examine the effects of a social media intergenerational program on depressive symptoms, intergenerational relationships, social support, and well-being in older adults. This study enrolled 100 older adults who were divided into the intervention group (n=50) and control group (n=50). The intervention group received 5 weeks of the social media intergenerational program. The control group maintained their daily routines. Data were collected using structured questionnaires at baseline and 5 and 9 weeks after enrollment. We found that approximately 35% of older adults had mild to severe depressive symptoms. Compared to the control group, the intervention group exhibited significantly greater improvements in depressive symptoms, intergenerational relationships, social support, and well-being in the fifth week and the ninth week after intervention. Intergenerational social media activities were recommended for older adults to improve their depressive symptoms, and promote intergenerational relationships and well-being.

The Effects of Social Media Use on the Health of Older Adults: An Empirical Analysis Based on 2017 Chinese General Social Survey

An aging population and social informatization are currently the two main social phenomena affecting China. Under their influences, the real-life experiences of older adults are becoming more and more closely connected to the online world, and the influences of the Internet on healthy aging cannot be ignored. This work aimed to study whether Internet use had an effect on the physical and mental health of older adults, whether the effect was positive or negative, and whether its influence on physical and mental health was heterogeneous. In this study, data from the 2017 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) was used to analyze the effects of social media use on the physical and mental health of older adults. The results indicated that there was a significant positive relationship between social media use and the health of older adults. The correlation between social media use and mental health of older adults was more significant than physical health. These results could help us further study the effects of Internet use on the health of older adults.

Achieving person-centredness through technologies supporting integrated care for older people living at home: an integrative review

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the range, type and outcomes of technological innovations aimed at supporting older people to maintain their independence within the context of integrated care at home. We also discuss key emergent themes relevant to the use of person-centred technology for older people in integrated care and propose recommendations for policy and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

An integrative review methodology was used to identify and describe recent scientific publications in four stages: problem identification, literature search, data evaluation and data analysis.

Findings

Twelve studies were included in the review. Three studies described remote consultations, particularly telemedicine; five studies described tools to support self-management; three studies described the use of healthcare management tools, and one study described both remote consultation and self-care management. Emergent themes were: acceptability, accessibility and use of digital technologies; co-ordination and integration of services; the implementation of digital technologies; and safety and governance. Several recommendations are proposed relevant to integrated care teams, technology developers and researchers.

Originality/value

This review uniquely considers the extent to which novel digital technologies used in integrated care for older people are person-centred.

Social media usage, social support, intergenerational relationships, and depressive symptoms among older adults

Many older adults are unable to use social media, which may affect their social support and intergenerational relationships and cause depression. To examine this impact on older Taiwanese adults, we used purposive sampling, a cross-sectional, correlational study design, and a structured questionnaire to collect data on participants' characteristics, social media usage, social support, intergenerational relationships, and depressive symptoms. We studied 153 older adults (aged 60 years and above) and found higher levels of depressive symptoms among participants who took medication, did not exercise regularly or participate in leisure activities, experienced poor health and sleep quality, and had poorer functional ability compared to their counterparts. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with social media usage, social support, and intergenerational relationships. We recommend considering risk factors and offsetting depressive symptoms by promoting the use of social media and regular exercise to increase social interactions, social support, and intergenerational relationships among older adults.