As Autumn sets in and many of us are now living with the impact of COVID-19, local lockdowns and social distancing as an ongoing reality, what does this mean for the UK and healthy ageing? Digital inclusion will play an increasing critical role in the healthy ageing agenda, so what have we learnt about the challenges older people and organisations now face, is there a deepening the digital divide, and how can we work differently and collaboratively to ensure more older people can maximise the benefits of being part of a digital society to meet their personal needs? Here are my slides from a recent presentation on this, given at the 'The Road to Recovery: Bridging the digital divide' webinar hosted by the Centre for Ageing Better https://www.ageing-better.org.uk/events/road-recovery-bridging-digital-divide

1. The Road to
Recovery:
Bridging the
digital divide
Dr Al Mathers
@Al_Mathers

2. Our world used to look
like this

3. And then it changedAnd then it was silent

4. “They keep asking me, ‘what's going to happen
after this?’ ‘are you still going to be there for us?’
It’s so hard.”
- Good Things Foundation community partner

5. Need during lockdown
Two distinct audience groups:
● Group 1: digitally excluded, vulnerable, shielding,
accessing critical support.
● Group 2: higher digital skills, in work, furloughed,
motivated, educated.

6. Older people
● Health and isolation - people aged over 70 were
recommended to self-isolate accounting for 13% of the UK
population, or over 8.6 million people.
● Digital exclusion - people age 55+ remain less likely to go
online; of which 77% of over 70’s have low digital
engagement; 51% of people aged 75+ do not use the
internet at all, through lack of access, skills, or confidence.

7. Lack of personal access
● 1.9m UK households are
without access to internet
and devices
● Cost is a big problem
● Data poverty
● Lack of suitable devices
● Smart phone only users

8. Older people advised to self-
isolate from friends and
relatives were often doing so
without the ability to:
- buy groceries online
- video call relatives
- do other tasks the online
population was doing
more of since lockdown
started.
Impact on older people

9. Our Collective Response
● Community organisations adapted to provide
critical frontline support and remote delivery.
● DevicesDotNow was launched to get data
enabled devices to people who need them most.

11. ● 29% delivered food and medicines
to people self-isolating
● 64% made emotional support
calls
● 71% provided advice
● 72% delivered learning and
technical support to help people
get online and remain online,
including helping them learn how
to work remotely.
The community frontline

12. Age UK Gateshead
Shifted to online delivery, and continue to support their learners with
digital skills. They reach around 3000 - 4000 people per week,
offering respite and hot meals. They are now helping with Zoom GP
calls and a friendship group scheme, where they have groups of up
to 10 people connecting on a weekly basis. Alongside this, they are
also bringing digital training in-house and are upskilling their staff
and volunteers via Zoom so that even more people will be able to
support digital inclusion in their community.
Community innovation case studies

13. Disability Resource Centre in Birmingham
Cancelled all face-to-face support, but continue to deliver digital
support via telephone and video calls. They have created a PDF of
helpful tips for their learners which covers recognising fraud, using
Skype and ordering shopping online so that they are better equipped
to stay safe and connected. They have been helping people in their
community with setting up online banking and setting up bill
payment reminders through apps and calendars so that they have
better control of their finances.
Community innovation case studies

14. Aspire Sussex
"COVID-19 has made us develop an online delivery model...the
pandemic has made us face that challenge head on and it is
something we want to continue. We realise that it will make many
of our courses more accessible in future, especially for those on
shift patterns and those who are more isolated and for whom face
to face provision is more challenging."
Community innovation case studies

15. Final thoughts
Personal access. Digital has instantly become a universal need.
Digital exclusion is more than being offline. Lack of personal access
to suitable devices and data poverty must be addressed.
Leaving no one behind. COVID-19 and lockdown has unfairly
affected older people who were already struggling and digitally
excluded. Age is no longer an excuse for us not to act.
Community innovation. Community partners on the front line have
responded to the COVID-19 crisis with speed, compassion and
intelligence. We need to sustain innovation at a community level to
be future proof.

16. Further reading
● Good Things Foundation COVID-19
Response Report
● DevicesDotNow Interim Impact Report
#3
● Lloyds UK Consumer Digital Index 2020
● Ofcom Adults' Media Use & Attitudes
Report 2020
● ONS, Internet Users, UK: 2019
● Digital Motivation: Exploring the
reasons people are offline

17. Find out more about our Covid-19
response work and DevicesDotNow
Thank you
Dr Al Mathers
alice@goodthingsfoundation.org
@Al_Mathers