Communication networks and the elderly: a report to the Department of Health
| dc.contributor.author | Department of Health (DOH) | |
| dc.contributor.author | National Institute of Higher Education. Social Research Centre | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2012-09-13T08:53:57Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2012-09-13T08:53:57Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1986 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10147/243762 | |
| dc.description | Ireland, like most other western countries, is experiencing an unprecedented growth in its elderly population. This growth has major implications for our health and welfare services, as the elderly tend to use these services more than younger people. It has been my policy as Minister for Health to ensure that the elderly can lead independent lives within their own homes and neighbourhoods and that institutional care will only be used as a last resort. Over the years many new community services have been developed and existing services expanded to help elderly people live in their own homes. There has been much interest recently in the potential of new technology to help the elderly living at home to communicate in emergencies with neighbours and health and welfare personnel. Because of the differing needs which could be met by the new technology and the variety of technological systems available on the market, my Department decided in May, 1985 to commission the Social Research Centre at the national institute of Higher Education in Limerick to study the potential of the technology to meet the communications needs of elderly people in an Irish context. This report is the outcome of that study. The report analyses the communications needs of the elderly from a social and a technical perspective. The authors emphasise that the main function of the technology is to augment existing networks of social support. It is clear that without a network of good neighbours and social organisation, no technology will work. | en_GB |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.publisher | Stationery Office | en_GB |
| dc.subject | OLDER PEOPLE | en_GB |
| dc.subject | COMMUNICATION | en_GB |
| dc.subject | TECHNOLOGY | en_GB |
| dc.title | Communication networks and the elderly: a report to the Department of Health | en_GB |
| dc.type | Report | en |
| refterms.dateFOA | 2018-08-22T22:02:13Z |
