Initiative aims to digitally connect senior citizens

The loss of social contacts impairs physical and mental well-being. Especially in old age, many people are at risk of becoming lonely. Reasons for this include decreasing mobility, loss of sight or hearing, the death of loved ones, distance from family and friends and the inability to use new means of communication. However, an initiative by EPFL, Pro Senectute Vaud and the Leenaards Foundation aims to use precisely these new communication technologies to break the isolation of senior citizens, as EPFL announced on Tuesday. The project focuses in particular on the design of user interfaces in order to adapt them to the needs of older users.

In collaboration with senior citizens

The project began with collaboration with so-called "solidarity neighborhoods", supervised by Pro Senectute Vaud. Over several months, the scientists held workshops with senior citizens to find out how they would like to interact and which user interface and language would be suitable. As Nicolas Henchoz from EPFL explained in the press release, the enthusiasm of the senior citizens involved showed that the perceived problems with digital means of communication are mainly due to the fact that existing offers do not meet their wishes and interests.

Interactivity and user-friendliness

Among other things, the interactivity and user-friendliness of the services for older users are crucial, as initial results from the project have shown. At the same time, researchers at the Royal College of Art in London are also working with local senior citizens' associations to identify needs and additional usage options. Ultimately, the aim is to rethink user interfaces and digital services so that they fit even more seamlessly into everyday life, EPFL wrote. (SDA)