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Joining the Digital Age Engaging Service Users. Megan Corlis Director Research & Development. Who am I?. Older People are the new consumer! Work across the broad spectrum of older people Keen interest in engagement Experimented a lot with digital engagement I Pads Skype
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Joining the Digital AgeEngaging Service Users Megan Corlis Director Research & Development
Who am I? • Older People are the new consumer! • Work across the broad spectrum of older people • Keen interest in engagement • Experimented a lot with digital engagement • I Pads • Skype • Social networking • Story telling / narratives
Messages • Ageing and the new consumer! • True and genuine engagement • The potential benefits of engagement • Telling my Story
The Longevity Revolution • ‘The gift of the 20th Century’ • Ageing is our greatest achievement • ‘Gerontolescence – the new transition’ • 30 years extra time to live • Baby Boomers
What do we know about technology and people as they get older? • Stereotyping and prejudice • Accessing the internet is essential • Fastest growing group using the internet are people over 65 • Most older people like to use computers for social activities • Being clear about the use of technology (overcoming fear and physical barriers) verses the structure you use to engage (facebook , blogging)
What is digital engagement? • Anything and everything that involves a ‘conversation’ on line • Should be transactional • Uses tools and delivery methods to encourage action
Engagement • Decide first how much you want to engage, are you consulting or engaging? • Engaging is something you do with people, they actively participate. • Be true to your audience – will they engage digitally or will you get the ‘expert voices’ • How • Traditional styles (surveys/focus groups) • Innovative styles (narratives, story telling) • Don’t underestimate technologies ability to paint a powerful picture and set the scene
Broad potential of engagement • Accessing diverse and hidden population • Therapy, health activities • Connectivity • Greater control over one’s life • Leisure, fun and enjoyment • Ability to participate
How do we get people to use technology? • What enables use? Not just the hardware? • Yah for Apple • How will they engage? • Don’t overlay technological solutions from one group onto another • 1 : 1 training at home
How to engage people in technology • Design and facilitation • Creating the ‘want’ by engaging people in things they really want to do • Demonstrate connectivity, the ability to communicate with younger generations
Telling my Story • Oral stories tended to be broad and time consuming • Creation of a series of short films based around participants stories • Interested in the use of narratives
Why tell your story?? • Create a personal and lasting document which illuminates their story • Share something personal via the medium of film with the people they love and, potentially, a broader audience
Learnings related to engagement • Transactional nature of the work • Need to work incrementally • Testing and adapting • Power of the medium • Delivering a quality product, use of film makers • Unanticipated outcomes, use in dispelling myths
Messages • Beware ignoring the older population • Know your audience and target the engagement delivery • Give people something they want • Be creative about both the delivery and the way you present content, may need a mixed method • mcorlis@helpinghand.org.au