Online access for older people in sheltered housing Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 16:00

Two thirds of people over 65 in sheltered housing can't get online. Get Digital - delivered by NIACE and Digital Unite - will offer Registered Social Landlords grants to help set up online facilities in sheltered housing across England and will provide the support needed to ensure residents can make full use of them.

Individuals and organisations interested in taking part in Get Digital - including Registered Social Landlords, managers of existing schemes, and organisations interested in partnership work - are invited to attend free launch events in Leeds (Thursday, 6 May), Bristol (Monday, 10 May) and Leicester (Tuesday, 11 May).

The launch events will:

• inform delegates about the programme and how they can benefit from taking part;
• explain how to apply to take part;
• provide an opportunity to network and learn from other relevant schemes;
• discuss the future development of the programme; and
• provide information on materials which will be developed by the programme.

Susan Easton, NIACE Project Manager for Get Digital, said:

"NIACE is pleased to be working with Digital Unite to deliver this programme. Our combined experience of similar initiatives has served to highlight the real benefits that online access can have on the quality of life of older people, helping them to keep in touch with services, families and their local communities. Get Digital will help to take away the feeling of isolation older people often have, by making sure they are no longer left behind and by helping them to become fully-participating, active citizens."

Get Digital has the capacity to transform individual and collective lives. It will build on the successful work already delivered by Get Digital partners, illustrated by feedback from scheme managers in Somerset, Bristol and Buckinghamshire (2009):

"The digital literacy programme for residents has helped transform the atmosphere at this scheme. There is always someone using the computers and people passing by the door stop to chat and then get interested in what the residents are up to and sometimes offer to help if they're stuck."

"I believe it has enhanced the quality of life for those who took part. We invited other supported housing residents (members of our Sheltered Housing Group) to an open day this year to evaluate the project and the feedback was positive."

"One of the best comments I have had from my most keen user is that it has been life changing."

By the end of the programme - March 2011 - Get Digital will:

• work with 195 sheltered housing schemes nationwide, including 81 schemes in rural areas providing around 7,800 residents internet access;
• extend internet access to a further 300 schemes and up to 20,000 residents in total;
• develop communal IT facilities in sheltered housing schemes making technology easily accessible to the 600,000 people who live in sheltered housing as well as others in the local community;
• provide resources including expert Scheme training and Support to boost residents' computer literacy; and
• promote and support Get Digital partnerships between sheltered housing and local schools and other groups of young people for intergenerational learning activities.