increasingly important means of sustaining the health of people worldwide, whether by providing access to a wealth of information, by linking geographically dispersed communities of peers and professionals, or by supporting self-management of health and illness’ (). The ubiquity of digital technologies, their ability to overcome mobility issues, and their usage as alternate infrastructure make digital technologies an extremely potent option to explore when designing loneliness interventions for the elderly (). Han and Braun highlight the role ‘critical’ that digital technologies and digital literacy play in active ageing by facilitating participation and social connectivity through enhanced communication (). Extending active ageing Although ageing’ lacks a precise universally accepted definition (), ‘active Walker and Maltby trace its roots back to activity theory of ageing (). Activity theory of ageing (ATA) is a perspective on ageing proposed by Havinghurst (), who suggests that there are no differences between middle-aged and old people, with the exception of biological and health-related aspects. In the activity theory, it is assumed that continuing the activity patterns and values characteristic of middle age is essential to having a rich and satisfying life (). Or as Walker suggests, successful ageing is achieved denying the onset of ‘by old age and by replacing those relationships, activities and roles of middle age that are lost with new ones in order to maintain activities and life satisfaction’ ().Therefore activity theory displays a perspective’ ‘functionalist () and it assumes a positive relationship between a person’s level of activity and life satisfaction. This increases a person’s or how ‘self-concept’ positively one perceives himself or herself and enhances adjustment in later life ().The application of activity theory looks to encourage or support older adults in remaining active beyond middle age by finding replacements for these roles’ and social positions (). Or as Schroots puts it, activity theory ‘lost calls for the substitution of old roles by new ones in an elderly persons’ life to ensure a positive sense and a better quality of life (). Although very popular in public healthcare, activity theory has been criticised for overlooking inequalities in health and socio-economic status. It is also questioned for neglecting other important factors such as personality traits and lifestyle characteristics (; ).
increasingly important means of sustaining the health of people worldwide, whether by providing access to a wealth of information, by linking geographically dispersed communities of peers and professionals, or by supporting self-management of health and illness’ (). The ubiquity of digital technologies, their ability to overcome mobility issues, and their usage as alternate infrastructure make digital technologies an extremely potent option to explore when designing loneliness interventions for the elderly (). Han and Braun highlight the ‘critical’ role that digital technologies and digital literacy play in active ageing by facilitating participation and social connectivity through enhanced communication (). Extending active ageing Although ‘active ageing’ lacks a precise universally accepted definition (), Walker and Maltby trace its roots back to activity theory of ageing (). Activity theory of ageing (ATA) is a perspective on ageing proposed by Havinghurst (), who suggests that there are no differences between middle-aged and old people, with the exception of biological and health-related aspects. In the activity theory, it is assumed that continuing the activity patterns and values characteristic of middle age is essential to having a rich and satisfying life (). Or as Walker suggests, successful ageing is achieved ‘by denying the onset of old age and by replacing those relationships, activities and roles of middle age that are lost with new ones in order to maintain activities and life satisfaction’ ().Therefore activity theory displays a ‘functionalist perspective’ () and it assumes a positive relationship between a person’s level of activity and life satisfaction. This increases a person’s ‘self-concept’ or how positively one perceives himself or herself and enhances adjustment in later life ().The application of activity theory looks to encourage or support older adults in remaining active beyond middle age by finding replacements for these ‘lost roles’ and social positions (). Or as Schroots puts it, activity theory calls for the substitution of old roles by new ones in an elderly persons’ life to ensure a positive sense and a better quality of life (). Although very popular in public healthcare, activity theory has been criticised for overlooking inequalities in health and socio-economic status. It is also questioned for neglecting other important factors such as personality traits and lifestyle characteristics (; ).
2016_DMI_ADMC_SIFAA.docx