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Research published in 2013 by Dr. Zsuzsanna Széman, an expert on aging and intergenerational relations, on the integrating effect of Skype on older people, from the publication “Challenges of aging societies in the Visegrad countries”.

Abstract

This research disproved the social prejudice that elderly persons in need of care, with deteriorating functions and a poor state of health are incapable of acquiring the skills needed for modern technology. The model action programme has proved that even very elderly, sick persons in need of nursing are capable of learning to use Skype, something entirely foreign to them, if they have the motivation and are given sufficient help. In addition, Skype acts as a catalyst, leading to a higher level in the learning process; successful learning arouses the curiosity of the elderly about new forms of infocommunications and the internet. By learning to use the internet they can acquire new knowledge and keep themselves busy.

The role played by technology in eldercare was already the subject of research projects in the early 1990s (COST A5), and these made it possible to elaborate model programmes in Eastern Europe and integrate them (e.g. Zivot 90 in the Czech Republic, the alarm system in Hungary). As a consequence of the strong ageing trend, infocommunications technology helping the life of the elderly has appeared in EU policy on the elderly (ICT & Ageing, www.ict-ageing.eu). The EU places special emphasis on development projects based on modern technology (AAL-JP programmes), on research related to eldercare and ICT (Mollenkopf et al., 2010), and on research regarding the carers (CARICT, 2011). In Canada and the United States too, the connection between eldercare and technology is a key research area (Marziali, 2004, 2005; Chiu et al., 2009). One of the most important questions in such investigations concerns effectiveness. The innovation studies supported by the EU seek effectiveness indicators, figures that can be translated into fiscal terms, wishing to demonstrate the cost-savings effect. At the same time, it is difficult to express in figures “young” or innovative solutions still at model level, to produce tangible proof. The goal to be attained, preventing the social exclusion of the elderly through the use of technical innovation, cannot always be shown by quantitative means because of the novelty of the solution. The Skype Care intervention research presented here ended in 2011 and its effectiveness is difficult to measure statistically or financially, but even without figures its results are already instructive and striking, the experiences can be easily adapted and applied in practice. The findings of the action research are especially important in the

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