ICT can enable older persons to live independently – PAHO

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can play a fundamental role in enabling older persons to overcome age-related disabilities and give them the opportunity to have an independent and healthier life.
This was captured in a report titled “Role of Digital Technologies in Aging and Health”, which is part of a publication series: “The Decade of Healthy Aging in the Americas: Situation and Challenges.”
It forms part of a series of reports that seek to contribute to the development of healthy ageing strategies in the Americas, launched on Monday by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), in collaboration with other United Nations agencies and the Inter-American System.
The report was supported by data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Zeroing in on this factor of ICT and ageing, the report noted that ICT can “further empower older individuals to become active participants and functional contributors to their respective communities in the context of sharing valuable life skills, knowledge, and experiences with younger generations”.
It was documented that caring for older persons could be viewed as a burden by a certain portion of the younger population. As nuclear families become more common across the world, older individuals, especially in developing countries, often find themselves isolated and abandoned by their families.
“This harmful mindset and related misconceptions have not only built a barrier that discourages society from taking proactive actions to address the needs of older individuals but also overlooks the immense value that these people bring to society.”
Through this report, ITU raises awareness of the need for policymakers and other stakeholders to be aware of the importance of ICT or digital accessibility and also have the core knowledge to build universally designed and age-friendly environments, to further take advantage of the digital opportunities.
“Additionally, ICTs can enable older persons to continue living independently for a longer time. This would benefit society as a whole and help improve the mental health of individuals while providing timely care and medical interventions at reduced costs. In this context, it is important to mention that older persons are also strong drivers of socioeconomic development,” the report outlined.
Considering the ICTs, as also indicated in the ITU report, the ageing population represents an attractive business opportunity not only for the technology industry but also for other sectors such as healthcare and lifelong learning.
“Moreover, the private sector can use this opportunity to service the needs of older persons to bring benefit to their respective businesses. Digital Inclusion Digital technologies have a fundamental role to play in unlocking the full potential of older persons. ICTs, if developed and delivered in accessible formats, could give everyone, including older persons, access to and use of digital information products and services.”
It was noted that if designed and implemented to consider digital inclusion for everyone, ICT can ensure the creation of digital environments in which everyone benefits and is empowered by technologies to contribute to society at large. In particular, “age technology,” namely all technological products and services designed with and for older persons, has the potential to help boost development and inclusion.