There is a special event happening today and tomorrow in Leeds and through the power of Twitter you can join in too. People Drive Digital #ppdigital16 is a festival of makers, doers, leaders and citizens in digital health and care organised by a great team including Victoria Betton, Anne Cooper and Roz Davies. The festival is a fabulous example of bringing people together to collaborate, innovate and share learning. Along with the organisers I believe that diverse connections and getting citizens, practitioners, developers, designers, academics and others together can be a powerful way of making good things happen.
#pddigital16 starts at 6.00 with a debate exploring “So what is frugal innovation and how is it relevant to people driving digital innovation in health and care?” with @JaideepPrabhu and @mentalsnapp You can follow the live stream here
One of the delightful elements of #pddigital16 is the invitation for everyone to bring a gift to share. Whilst I cannot be at the event in person I did want to share a gift and we are offering five copies of the Click Guide to Dementia eBook in a free prize draw. Open to everyone attending in person or participating online just tweet to me @shirleyayres “#pddigital16 Click Guide to Dementia prize draw”. Five winners will be selected at random on Wednesday 30th November 2016. I will contact the winners to confirm email addresses by the 2nd December.
Whilst there are many fantastic digital resources available across the whole spectrum of health and social care they are often unknown to those who need them most. The Click Guide to Dementia brings together more than a hundred of the most useful digital resources, with an overview and explanations as well as hyperlinks to websites, blogs, facebook pages and twitter feeds. Topics covered in the Guide range from information, advocacy and carer support through to specialist dementia shops and services.
The guide is a unique and independent one stop directory for people using care services, living with dementia, their families, carers and professionals. You can find out more about the Click Guide to Dementia here
We have received great feedback about the Guide:
What a fabulous new resource, I'm delighted to be included. I know carers will find this new digital directory of resources a wealth of info https://t.co/hiDzm501J5
Last year at #pddigital15 we asked people what health and wellbeing apps they used and would recommend. You may be surprised at some of the responses here!
I hope everyone enjoys the experience as much as I did last year. I strongly recommend following the hashtag #pddigital16 and joining in the conversations.
One of the most challenging and enjoyable elements of my work is being commissioned to provide Critical Friend reviews. In the increasingly crowded social space it is even more important that organisations have a digital strategy which connects, speaks and listens to often diverse audiences. Every organisation needs to show how their engagement strategies are generating tangible results and impact through digital leadership and culture. Over the last few years we have been carrying out an increasing number of critical friend reviews for public, private and not for profit organisations.
A critical friend review is an external and uniquely independent opinion of an organisation’s positioning, strategy or initiatives. It comes from a perspective that is sympathetic to what the organisation is trying to achieve and reflects the context whilst identifying opportunities, likely challenges and pitfalls.
A Critical Friend review addresses these fundamental questions:
How is your organisation positioned now?
Where do you want to be?
How are you going to get there?
How are you showing that your work makes a difference and has an impact?
In answering these questions, the emphasis is on being honest and ‘telling it how it is’. We recognise that this can be difficult but to be effective a critical friend review must be unafraid to comment on where the chosen approach is unlikely to deliver the desired results and to suggest different approaches.
Why is this valuable now?
The simple reason is that we are in a challenging economic and political climate with rapidly changing expectations of how services will be delivered. Consequently, organisations must develop new and unprecedented ways of working. As senior managers frequently tell me “Our approach to digital transformation needs to be different from anything we have done before”. With fewer resources available, and with more riding on outcomes than ever before, organisations cannot afford to make mistakes in the way they respond to these challenges. A critical friend review helps organisation prepare for navigating uncharted territory through market intelligence which has been gained over many years of working across the social sector.
I believe it is crucial for proposed approaches to be subjected to independent scrutiny. The feedback will not inevitably be negative: it will identify what is being done well and can highlight strengths and opportunities that may have been missed. A great deal of our work consists in recommending organisations, initiatives and resources which our clients may be unaware of – but which could greatly assist in the achievement of their objectives.
Successive governments have recognised the importance of critical friending for the public sector. We draw on the ‘Critical Friend Framework’ published in 2004 which identifies three dimensions of critical friending: ‘inputs’ (looking at the skills and experience involved in a project), process and structure (considering the way in which projects are organised) and outcomes (evaluating what the organisation is aiming to achieve and prospects of success).
In acting as a critical friend, we are able to draw upon many years of working with adult and children’s services, health, housing, social enterprises, entrepreneurs, academics and charities. Our knowledge and expertise encompasses policy, research, marketing, communications and digital technology. This ‘width and depth’ – together with an ability to look at a situation from a range of different perspectives – is really an essential requirement of a critical friend. There is little value in being told what you already know!
What this means in practice is illustrated by a comment from one of our clients Barnwood Trust,
“Embarking on a new website and a whole new approach to the way we were working, and on top of that a new brand for it all, was a big and sometimes daunting job. We spent a long time researching, planning and testing each of our ideas and concepts, making sure that we were developing something that people wanted and felt would be useful to them. It was during this process that we came across Shirley and her work as a critical friend.
“Shirley took on the role of critical friend for our new brand and website, You’re Welcome and provided us with a completely different and invaluable perspective. Not only did Shirley provide a thought provoking report from which we have been able to develop and also strengthen our ideas but she also provided support throughout the review on the phone. It was extremely useful to talk our work through with someone with as much knowledge and experience as Shirley. To have a report at the end of it really helped with the work and how we developed it. Shirley was an absolute pleasure to work with and we will definitely be looking to draw from her skills and experience again in the future.”
Transformational change across the health, care and housing and social sectors now requires digital leadership, market intelligence and approaches which acknowledge the value of radical thinking.
Expectations of more openness, transparency and accountability in publicly funded services along with the immediacy of social media in highlighting disconnects between the rhetoric and reality of how organisations present themselves makes the role of a independent critical friend even more important.
I am often asked to comment on projects, websites, digital products and services but the response often needs more than a tweet (or two!). I am happy to discuss how a critical friend review could help your organisation. Please feel free to contact me. Shirley.Ayres@btinternet.com @shirleyayres
Shirley is co-founder of the Connected Care Network which supports digital transformation and engagement using technology & social media for social good.
I have been touched and excited by the interest and support for the Guide. since we launched (read the original post here) and we are now working on the next two Guides which we hope to launch soon.
You can buy the Guide here and I appreciate it can be a tough choice between the eBook at £4-99 which has clickable links and the Paperback at £8-99 (plus p&p) a valuable reference book. Or why not buy both!
A big thank you to everyone sharing and liking information about the Guide.
Thumbs up to @shirleyayres for compiling a practical guide on services in Click Guide to Dementia as well as people seen as change makers
What a fabulous new resource, I'm delighted to be included. I know carers will find this new digital directory of resources a wealth of info https://t.co/hiDzm501J5
The Click Guide is self funded and has been produced by a very small group of professionals who believe passionately that technology can benefit all of our lives but only if information is accessible to enable people to make informed choices about how digital resources can enhance care and support.
An important reminder that the Terms and Conditions for using the Click Guide to Dementia eBook state that the Guide is for personal use and can only be downloaded on one device (laptop, iPad, Tablet or smartphone).
If you are an organisation who would like to support staff, service users and volunteers to benefit from online access to the Guide or a membership subscription service who wish to add our digital resources to your database please contact us to buy a licence which is available for a reasonable fee dependent on the numbers who will be accessing the resources in the Guide.
For more information about buying a licence or for a digital copy of the Terms and Conditions of Use please contact Shirley@clickguide.co.uk
Such a simple, obvious and wise statement – it would be so exciting if every individual offered a personal health or care budget was able to access a digital care navigator. Sadly the social sector (including health, care and charities) have not yet managed to bridge the gap between the rhetoric of digital transformation and the everyday experiences and reality for citizens..
I was recently asked for advice about how digital technology could help a person with late onset multiple sclerosis deteriorating rapidly. She loved crafts, needlework painting etc but is losing use of her hands. She has a laptop but using the mouse is getting tricky.
It emphasised for me how important it is for people to be aware of, and able to access, online resources to support independent living and #ageingbetter so I thought it would be helpful to share resources.
It is definitely worth contacting AbilityNet a small and impressive UK charity helping disabled adults and children use computers and the internet by adapting and adjusting their technology. They provide a range of factsheets and advice and information services.
@AbilityNet run the inspiring @Tech4GoodAwards which celebrate the people and technology making the world a better place. 2016 finalists will be announced on the 8th June!
AbilityNet have been shortlisted as Digital Charity of the Year 2016 by Digital Leaders 100. The winners will be chosen by a public vote and you can vote for them now on the Digital Leaders website and help spread the message about the amazing way that technology can transform the lives of disabled and older people.
[Declaration of interest: I have a real fondness for small charities with a big vision who know how to be creative and deliver results with limited funds!]
Touchscreens such as iPads are tactile, versatile and very simple to use and the apps make it easy to play accessible games, which help memory, agility and interaction. iPads can be used for all manner of activities such as games, apps, accessing websites and playing music and video.
However before buying any apps it is always worth reading the reviews, checking compatibility requirements with laptop/tablet being used and whether the app is really free or being offered as a subscription model!
Some fun interactive apps
Pigment (free to download but with a Premium Access paid subscription) allows you to colour as you would on paper with actual colored pencils. Choose from 350+ hand curated, professionally drawn illustrations, 8 different kinds of pencils, markers and brushes, and an unlimited number of colors to choose from. Completed artwork can be friends and family.
Painterly £1.49) allows you to create beautiful evocative pictures even if you do not have advanced drawing skills or formal art training Allows for painting with more than 60 virtual brushes, as well as importing photos and then painting them
Imutt (free but charity will invite a donation) This game from the Dogs Trust allows users to look after an impossibly cute virtual rescue dog for five days. Perfect and no need to walk in bad weather!
FlowerGarden (free with further in-app purchases) allows you to pick virtual seeds, plant them, water them and watch them grow. This is especially significant for participants who used to enjoy growing plants and are missing their former gardens.
An honourable mention for the informative @AXSChatwhich runsthe informative weekly #AXSchat discussing accessibility & inclusion in business on the web & beyond.
I have reached out to the Multiple Sclerosis charities for advice and will update this post when I receive responses.
thanks! have u tried our site My Computer My Way: https://t.co/gyX2GV07vz let us know if more help needed/ assessment
I met Paul Smyth Head of IT Accessibility at Barclays Bank recently and was very impressed by his thoughtful and measured approach to accessibility and inclusive technology. I recommend listening to his interview.
It is so obvious really that digital technology can make all the difference to the quality of life for people living with disabilities and why I believe it is so important to make #connectedcare a reality.
Obviously this post is only a snapshot of available resources (I am not a assitive technology specialist but I work with companies excited to use technology to improve their services).
And I am always very aware that what digital technology offers are endless possibilities to make person-focused care a reality.
I welcome your thoughts about resources you have found helpful. please add to the comments section below or share with me via Twitter @shirleyayres
In these challenging times I believe we have a responsibility to show how the digital revolution which is impacting on all of our lives can bring people together to build and support more connected communities.
Care and support in the 21st century requires much more connected thinking across social services, health, housing, education, employment and the wider social sector. Technology and social media can facilitate this process. I am often puzzled when I see different sectors running events with similar themes on the same day and not making the connections which could avoid duplicating resources or reinventing wheels. It can so often seem that sectors are just talking to themselves rather than reaching out and creating new networks and collaborations.
Admittedly we have been slow creating a mindshift away from technology as a means to an end and thinking about how digital technology can help address the wicked challenges of our age. How does technology have a role in addressing social isolation, loneliness, supporting people living with dementia and their carers, developing the skills and talent of young people and creating communities we all want to live in? Is the missing link the absence of digital leadership in the social sector?
Moving beyond rhetoric? @PaulBromford & I are exploring Leadership in the Digital Age https://t.co/ZzmdIhCy0w comments welcome! #socialprov
To promote new ways of thinking I have used and continue to use social media to highlight resources which I believe could benefit from a wider audience than the “usual suspects” In this spirit and because there are so many events taking place I am sharing my selection of interesting and innovative events which you can follow on Twitter. The obvious (to me anyway) connection between all of these events is that we all live in communities which include children, young people, families, people living alone and carers. We all have something to share and we can learn from each other.
Today MOMO are hosting a national conference exploring digitalsocial work challenges and good practice. @MindOfMyOwnApp have developed an app that gives children and young people the confidence & ability to express their needs. It is so important that looked after children have a voice and I am impressed by the impact of this app. Follow via #momoconuk
This week is #dyingmattersweek. Every year @DyingMatters host an Awareness Week, which gives us an unparalleled opportunity to place the importance of talking about dying, death and bereavement firmly on the national agenda. This year the theme is ‘The Big Conversation’ and you can share your thoughts via #BigConversation.
Our head of research & clinical innovation, @learnhospice, will be joining several Twitter chats as part of the #bigconversation, this week.
Neighbourhoods of the Future is being held on the 11th and 12th May. This event will take a fresh look at age friendly homes and communities as a means of tackling the challenges of ageing better. Topics being explored include the emerging possibilities of smart homes and age friendly cities. With hundreds of organisations now involved in the #AgeingBetter industry it will be fascinating to see how many will be sharing their thoughts via #agileageingroadshow http://www.lansons.com/looking-forward-growing-older
The Festival of Behaviour Change starts today in Bangor 9th – 20th May 2016. Behaviour Change Science is a combination of psychology, social sciences, design thinking and practical application that could revolutionise the design and delivery of public services. It can help individuals to make better decisions by altering the way in which choices are presented to them. This is an important exploration because there are rightly ethical concerns about who determines what is the “right” behaviour. I am particularly interested in the sessions on Behaviour Change and Service Delivery Models; Behaviour Change in Health and the Future of Health Care and The use of Technology in the Pursuit of Behaviour Change. Follow the discussions via #behfest16. I understand some of the sessions will be live streamed via Periscope.
Advance notice of Dementia Awareness Week taking place from the 15th – 21st May 2016. This is an important opportunity to increase understanding of dementia and find out what support is available for people living with dementia and their carers. There are a wide range of special events taking place across the country.
If there are other events which I think are interesting, informative and innovative I will add them to the list during the week!
On Being Social To help make your event more social I am sharing some top tips produced by @PaulBromford and I. (We are planning to update this in 2016!)
Last week I attended People Driven Digital Health and Care in Leeds. It was a fascinating and fun event. I was honoured to be invited to provide some thoughts at the launch about the challenges and opportunities in the digital space alongside Tim Kelsey and Anne Cooper.
An excellent question was posed by Mike Clark at the start of the event and here are some responses and it raises interesting questions about what each of us considers to be a health and wellbeing app!
Question for #PdDigital15 speakers/organisers – from pers experience, what are top 3 digital apps that improve health/wellbeing outcomes?
My recommendations: Twitter (rich source of real time information about the latest digital health and care innovations) , jawbone (motivational and competitive element makes it fun) and @squeezyapp (very good for pelvic floor muscle exercises!).
I would also highly recommend Patient Opinion because of the richness of experiences being shared and the opportunities for health and care organisations to respond publicly as to how they are addressing concerns, complaints and praise.
One of the best apps I've used with older people @shirleyayres is 'Lets Create Pottery'. Fun, creative and tablet skills. #PdDigital15
Paul Taylor and the Bromford Lab have been experimenting with a cheap Cardboard Virtual Reality kit and I did get very excited about the one he brought (as did Chris Bolton and Paul Webster)!
Thanks to everyone who contributed their favourite health and wellbeing apps . I am very aware there are thousands of digital innovations available and I would love you to share your favourites either here or via Twitter @shirleyayres!
You can read more about the event through the following rather excellent posts
There are too few opportunities for robust debate about the need for a long term revolution which challenges the traditional institutional models of care. I believe we have to disrupt the current care market because it is just not fit for purpose.
My Long Term Care Revolution paper for Innovate UK highlighted the reality that living longer does not feel like a celebration when care options in later life do not reflect our aspirations and experience of living in a digitally connected world.
In 2013 Nominet Trust published my Provocation Paper exploring the question “Can online innovations can enhance social care?” The simple answer is yes but digital technology on it’s own is not the solution. Technology cannot fix broken systems and digital cannot be just a bolt on or optional extra – digital transformation has to be at the heart of every organisation.
Technology and tools help us navigate an increasingly complex world but they will never replace human creativity, empathy and intuition. We have to understand both the potential and the limitations of what digital technology can offer.
We certainly need better ways to collaborate, signpost, and share knowledge. Connected Care is important to make sense of a complex and fragmented landscape. Innovation in adversity has to involve care, health, housing, entrepreneurs, the technology industry, innovation funders, the wider social sector, citizens and whole communities.
We seem to have a deficit of imagination about how to build and support the strengths and assets within communities. How can we use technology to support citizens to live more fulfilling lives connected with the people, ideas and activities which are so important to each of us?
There is so much potential for digital technology to enable people to make new connections, contribute to person-centred support, develop community networks and new models of care so an obvious question is what is stopping more widespread adoption?f
There is no shortage of innovations in digital technology and millions of pounds are being spent supporting further developments. It is less clear about the application, impact and usage of these innovations. One problem is the limited awareness in the sector and amongst the public about what is available and it’s value. I believe that a big deficit is the lack of a strategic approach to embedding digital technology in the range of options to support people to live more fulfilling lives.
My proposals:
Convene a roundtable for all the funders of digital technology to explore collaboration, sharing practice and a common approach to evaluating and promoting the outcomes and impacts of their investment.
Provide signposts which enable care recipients, their families and carers to find out what technology products and services are available, both through statutory services or to purchase independently.
Create, promote and participate in events that showcase innovations in care which could be adopted by local authorities, the NHS and housing providers.
Map all of the digital community hubs (however defined) which are available to ensure that people have access to local resources. This would also identify areas where there is currently no support available.
Benchmark levels of awareness about technology innovations across the care sector and work with key players to promote and share the benefits of innovation.
Are we making progress? Despite millions of pound given in grants for innovation and digital inclusion, endless reports, numerous conferences and a recognition that digital technology is an integral part of our lives I sometimes feel I am living in a parallel universe to the Ageing Better industry …..
From the Big Lottery Fund £82 million investment in Ageing Better to the £50 million endowment creating the Centre for Better Ageing and the diverse Nesta programs it seems there is a proliferation of partnerships exploring how to embed innovation in care but the jury is out about their impact. Maybe the recently launched Innovate UK £4 million Long Term Care Revolution national challenge will provide some answers?
The “Ageing” sector is a complex and fragmented multi million pound industry involving hundreds of organisations and millions of potential beneficiaries. How often have you asked if your your product or service could be improved and made assumptions about the problems people really need help solving?
I welcome your ideas about how we can shift from yet more research and reports to innovation with practical and useful outcomes which will improve the quality of life for older people now and in the future! My #AgeingBetter dream encompasses personalised care driven by technology, smart homes with sensors, robot companions and driverless cars.
Looking 20 years ahead as baby boomers reach the age 80 plus we still have time to plan and get it right. But we have to move from rhetoric and reports to action now!
It is time to take long term care out of the shadows and promote a public debate about the care and support we aspire to in later life rather than accepting the current institutional models which offer so little choice and control for older citizens. The publication of Key to Care@PaulBurstow supported by @LGiUis a timely reminder of the challenges confronting the care sector and I welcome the mention of the need for service design and investing in technology.
I am one of the much maligned baby boomers being blamed by politicians and the media for not being responsible in planning for later life. The obvious question is what exactly I should be planning for – being warehoused in an institution which may strip me of my dignity, pride and independence?
A blueprint for the redesign of long term care does not yet exist and we lack an overarching vision about how we want our care and support in later life to be provided beyond the institutional model. What are the levers of influence when social care is so complex and fragmented?
I believe our biggest challenge is bringing together all the sectors with an interest in improving the quality of later life for older citizens. As an example this includes: NHS health and care sectors, care providers, housing associations, emergency services, the wider social sector, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Kings Fund and many other think tanks, Care Quality Commission, Telecare providers, Independent Age, International Longevity Centre , Age UK, CarersUK, Design Council, Innovate UK, Nesta, Big Lottery and Nominet Trust who fund social technology projects, Centre for Ageing, universities, technology innovators, different Government Depts: Health, Communities and Local Government, Work and Pensions, Cabinet Office, Business, Innovation & Skills, Innovation Labs and Impact Labs across the UK. (I should add that this is only a small sample of the organisations involved in this area!)
I wonder if all of these bodies have ever sat down together to explore more effective collaborations and how to avoid duplication of effort and resources in basically tackling the same problems?
An honourable mention for how technologies from other sectors and industries could help address the seemingly intractable problems about supporting citizens in later life.
There seems to be a gulf between thinking and doing as organisations are unable to turn ideas into actions. Is this because there are so many stakeholders with their own perspectives and priorities sometimes struggling to survive in a competitive funding environment? .
Last week I launched my Long Term Care Revolution Provocation Paper commissioned by Innovate UK to provide an independent perspective about the challenges of developing radically different models of care which will meet the needs and aspirations of older citizens in later life.
With many thanks to Paul Taylor for developing the presentation
@shirleyayres excellent summary of what needs to be done. . What I learnt: How fragmented the world of long term care is. Thanks for sharing
— Vishal Gulati (I back scientists) (@VishalGulati_) December 10, 2014
If long term care is not fit for purpose how can we revolutionise the system or do we accept that the system is not the best but it is slowly changing and we need to give it time?
The “Ageing” sector is a complex multi million pound industry involving hundreds of organisations and millions of potential beneficiaries. From the @BigLotteryFund £82 million Ageing Better investment to the £50 million being spent creating the new Centre for Ageing Better why has there been so much reluctance to embrace new models of care for older citizens? There are a proliferation of partnerships and alliances exploring this agenda and how to embed social innovation in long term care. It is unclear how they are collaborating to provide a UK overview. Critical messages get lost in the plethora of reports and which often appear to be covering similar areas of concern such as isolation, loneliness. digital participation and the value of older citizens.
The reality is that person centred care will translate from words into everyday reality when we focus on the older citizen and are able to answer the simple questions “what will improve the quality of your life?” and “what care would you like to support you to live a fulfilling life?”
Our ageing population represent a victory for better nutrition, better housing, and the welfare state. People in later life offer wisdom, experience, perspective and a wide range of skill sets and capacities. Why are we not utilising the wealth of knowledge and experience of older people to develop and deliver community services that meet their needs?
We need a cultural mindshift which challenges the idea of older citizens being “objects of charity” rather than active consumers
How do we change the narrative and think about a future where people look forward to later life with a wide range of choices to live a fulfilling life which is not dependent on health, locality or relationships?
Strangely people aged sixty plus are not one homogeneous group, we are as varied as individuals in any other sector of the population and our different life experiences inform our perspectives as consumers. Older people may have similar needs physically but these do not erase life experiences, preferences and orientations. Older people is not an identity but a statistical category
The budget deficit in health and care seems to have become a race to cut costs and shift responsibilities and places little value on the quality of life of the citizen requiring long term care. Organisations with a focus on systems and processes are still negotiating block contracts for care services. Services are not being tailored to meet the personal needs, hopes and aspirations of older citizens. There appears to be a focus on medicalising later life care which ignores the health risks associated with loneliness and social exclusion amongst older citizens.
Our society has advanced in all aspects of life socially, medically, economically, technologically, environmentally. These advances have substantially redefined how we live our lives on a daily basis, how we travel (space, air, sea and land), how we communicate, how we work, how we manage our finances, how and what we buy, how we experience leisure and entertainment, and how we educate ourselves. Yet the institutional principles which form the basis of long term care provision remains completely unaffected by such changes and have failed to develop in-step with these advances.
How do we make organisations culturally ready for moving from institutional thinking to person centred care which recognises how the adoption of digital technology can enhance the care and support available within communities? Digital does not have to mean no human contact. What it can do is free up the time for more face to face contact.
A gentle reminder that baby boomers expectations and aspirations have been shaped by:
1953 Francis Crick and James Watson discovering the structure of DNA.
1963 Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his historic “I Have a Dream” speech
1993 work on the Human Genome Project started
1969 Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to set foot on the moon
1971 Launch of the Open University
1973 Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon is released
1998 Google founded
1998 Launch of Apple iMac
2001 Launch of Wikipedia and the first Apple iPod..
2004 Facebook is founded
2006 Twitter was created
A serious question has to be asked about why the NHS and Social Care sectors who currently commission the majority of long term care have been so slow to develop a culture which promotes innovation. Market shaping exercises seem to assume the ‘status quo’ will continue indefinitely which is confirmed by the number of care providers now building new and larger care homes.
It is worth mentioning that my @nominettrustProvocation Paper published in 2013 highlighted how online innovations can enhance social care. Disappointingly I have seen very little mention of this in the Better Care Fund plans and the Care Act implementation. Frankly I am astounded at the disconnect between what policy makers and care providers think is required in later life and how I see my my future which includes:
Mobility is often a challenge for older citizens. Apart from decent and affordable public transport how could driverless cars keep people connected with their family, friends and the community?
Living choice for older citizens are influenced by standards, regulations, the design of new housing and lifetime homes. What are the options for retrofitting of existing housing stock; shared lives and co-housing. How can we support inclusive communities and neighbourhoods through urban design and planning?Where is the thinking across social care, health and housing about the importance of smart technology enabled homes
There are tough and uncomfortable questions to be discussed to inform the debate about how we can all look forward to a future without fear of being abandoned to a market where vital care and support is determined by our income and locality rather than our needs and personal preferences. We have to address the potential shortfall in both formal and informal carers in the future with more people living on their own who do not have families to support them.
I want a clear vision for the future which offers a coordinated system with many different life choices for citizens in later life. This is not just the responsibility of one sector it needs to engage each and every one of us at local, national and UK wide levels in a public debate about our hopes and aspirations for care in later life.
A substantial number of reports, research and articles informed the development of the Provocation Paper and I will be providing a follow up post which details the background reading.
The new Radio 4 series The Invisible Age is looking at the issue of sixty plus age groups encompassing several generations and how we as a society regard older citizens. The recent You and Yours programme asked the question ‘do people treat you differently once you’re over 60’. I was invited to discuss with Winifred Robinson our attitudes to ageing, whether people are ignoring ageing issues and why we need a long term care revolution.
The most powerful need we humans have is to be connected and to remain connected. Social media provides unrivalled opportunities for all of us to contribute to the long term care debate. I would love you to add thoughts, comments and share your dreams about the choices you would like in later life!
This week I am attending HouseParty the first ever unofficial housing fringe bringing together grassroots housing and social change-makers to explore, showcase and discuss the latest innovations in UK housing and beyond organised by @HACThousing and @SocialChangeAg. Have a look at the innovative programme and follow #hseparty14 to understand what has inspired @HseParty. My one regret is that the health and social care sectors have not seized this opportunity to engage with housing colleagues in addressing the challenges of community engagement and digital inclusion.
On Wednesday 25th June at 9.30 @PaulBromford, @HelReynolds and I will be contributing to @HseParty by having a very social conversation and we would love you to join us using the hashtag #socialconvo. Helen, Paul and I come from very different backgrounds but we share a belief that being social is about sharing generously, creating relationships and seeking new collaborations.
Paul has shared 10 Things We Learned About #SocialMedia Behaviours From #PowerPlayers14 in this rather stunning presentation.
Our first#socialconvo was held in London where @MarkOneinFour, Paul and I discussed how social media can be used for social good. As Mark so delightfully puts it “how do you move social media from a broadcasting medium to a space where relationships grow and where, sometimes, magic things happen?”
I have long been a fan of Erik Qualmann and his powerful and very popular videos which provides statistics about the global influence of social media. As Erik says “it is not a question now about whether you should be involved in social media but how well you do it”
It was great to see Erik respond on Twitter to Paul’s comment that “the @equalman clip turns as many CEOs off as it excites”
Just in case you have not seen the latest Socialnomics video!
Helen, Paul and I hope you will join us on Wednesday 25th June at 9.30 to explore “How social is your organisation and what investment do you need to make to become an influencer in the increasingly crowded social space?” We welcome your thoughts, comments and questions via #socialconvo!
PS: Congratulations are definitely in order for @HelReynolds who was number one on the #powerplayers14 list and who recently won the local government category of the Digital Leaders 100 Awards.
If you would like to explore the benefits of having a social conversation in your organisation do get in touch!
Last Tuesday Mark Brown @MarkOneinFour, Paul Taylor @PaulBromfordand I hosted “What can social media do to make social good better?” We wanted to discuss the potential of social media as a place where social good could happen. One of the big questions as Mark so delightfully puts it “how do you move social media from a broadcasting medium to a space where relationships grow and where, sometimes, magic things happen?”
It was a risk for us not just in terms of the finances and resources required but because we all have a strong social media presence. What would happen if no one wanted to come and join in the conversation? Happily there was a lot of interest in #socialconvo which we see as the beginning of a very different social conversation.
It sounds so obvious really that every event costs money to put on. If it is free for attendees it is because an organisation or organisations are providing the resources to cover the costs of venue hire, refreshments, staff time and promotion of the event. So a big thank you to the people who sponsored places at the event.
What made this conversation special for me is that Mark, Paul and I first connected through Twitter. Where else could I have met one of the smartest thinkers in the worlds of social media and mental health and the dynamic Innovation Coach at Bromford a social business providing homes and support to over 80,000 people? We have a shared interest in how social media is defining care, support and community engagement in a digitally connected world and we recognise the importance of seeing social media as part of a core vision to transform organisations rather than a marginal activity.
As Mark said “with the growth of mobile technology like smartphones and tablet PCs; social media feels less like a set of websites that we visit and more like a layer of communication, community and interaction that sits over our everyday lives. The growth of social media has led to an expansion in the self-production of media and to a blossoming of public debate”.
Social media has played an enormous role in giving a voice to people and organisations who previously had no platform and offers the opportunity for sharing different stories. The potential to build more connected communities both online and offline who can debate everything from the impact of welfare reform to how digital technology in transforming our lives is immense.
Social influence and digital leadership is now coming from a much more diverse group. The new influencers use Twitter, blogs, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and other social media platforms to reach thousands of people. Connections are built on relationships and they are grown through conversations which can involve many different people from across the world.
Social media provides endless opportunities to be creative and challenge artificial boundaries especially between the generations if we are brave enough. Social media is also a great leveller because it is not dependent on status but rather the value each of us brings to a conversation. Despite what the pundits say about older people not being that digitally savvy the fastest growing demographic on Twitter is the 55-64 year old age bracket. 189 million users of Facebook are only using mobile devices and 25% of smartphone owners aged 18–44 say they can’t recall the last time their smartphone was not next to them.
We were very touched by the support we received both from people attending the event and the conversations taking place online. I thought it would be useful to provide links to the resources generated through our very social conversation.
Due to the very lively debate we did not have the time to answer all of the questions asked through Twitter and we are pplanningollow up post to respond to the questions
The digital revolution is about people, social networks and connections not the technology. Technology is most effective when it is invisible. It is an enabler and what is important is what it allows us to do. I believe our challenge is to use social media to do something greater than what we could otherwise accomplish.
As Paul Taylor rightly observes “if social media can lead to social good it requires us to build relationships with others who share our passions and interests . These relationships are no longer restrained by physical location , our immediate peer group, our employers, or our sectors.”
Social media is not free and whilst it costs very little to set up a social platform it needs time, money and people to maintain your presence and have your voice heard in an increasingly crowded space.
Get the basics right – make it easy for people to connect with you. This may sound obvious but if you are an organisation with a responsibility for promoting social good you need a strategy for responding to questions and comments online. A tip for any organisation is to make it easy for people to find you by promoting your social media presence!
One of my favourite quotes from Mark “Without a response plan social media is just an answering machine for messages you have no intention of listening to”.
Value and respond to feedback and comments. Having a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn profile, never responding to comments and rarely updating shows a real lack of interest in being social. Strangely some organisations do not appreciate that all social media communications are in the public domain.
An idea does not care who has it – share generously your knowledge, passions and links to resources you have found useful, enjoyed reading or even just made you smile.
People are looking for more openness and transparency in the social age. This has many implications for organisations who are not used to this level of accountability and public debate.
Being able to tell a story is a powerful and compelling element of social media. With so many competing influences you have to work hard to build and sustain trusted relationships online. Each of us has a unique voice do not be afraid to use it to tell your story.
If you would like to explore the benefits of social conversation in your organisation to explore how to use social media for social good do get in touch!
This week I am attending 
bonklesoul
Ermy
shirleyayres
Connecting Social Care and Social Media 