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Computers and Senior Citizens: Menu
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Skype
eyeball chat
Comparison of
Skype Type software
Email
chat
personal web page
web 2.0
Google’s GMail video chat
Making videocalls work for the aged
http://ideas.4brad.com/making-videocalls-work-aged
Reading lips can help
improve how well you are understood, and physical cues can mean a lot.Unfortunately, Skype and most of the other systems are geared mostly to a single
user. You can log out and log back in to change users, but technophobe seniors
will not be up to doing this, or even remembering userids and passwords. One
account, always logged on, is much easier to get going, though it means that
this account will have a huge buddy list of all the contacts of each senior.
Skype has contact groups which can help here, but it’s not going to be perfect.
. A dual core processor is needed. These are now starting to get cheap,
even in used laptops. For mobility, I think a laptop is the best device to use.
It’s not hard to find a cheap, 1-2 year old laptop with dual core and an
integrated camera. Due to the fading vision of many seniors, a large screen
laptop is useful, or even an external monitor when the laptop is not being used
in mobile mode.
Because many seniors will be more comfortable with old style telephone, I
recommend the addition of a USB phone handset. A wide variety of these are sold
for use with Skype and other programs.
The USB handset must feature a high-volume feature for the hard of hearing. In
addition, there should also be a set of headphones. These are better than a
handset, but just not as familiar. They can offer better audio, less echo,
higher volume and a different balance for those with different hearing in their
two ears. While computer control of balance is possible, there is not a good UI
for it, so headphones with a balance dial would be better
For example, in an ideal system, the senior would come and sit before the
screen. The camera, using face recognition, would identify which senior it is —
this is not too hard to do when dealing with only a small set of people, and can
be done with face geometry. If, for some reason, it can’t distinguish between
two people, it could then display their two names and faces on the screen, and
let the senior select who they are, perhaps with a touch screen, or by saying
their name.
If face recognition seems too hard, speech recognition is certainly good
enough off-the-shelf to let the senior say their name to be identified. Or if
that’s still too much, they could pick from a list of names on a touch screen. I
think a touch-screen is a must if there has to be pointing — many seniors are
not familiar with a mouse, or may have disabilities that prohibit the use of a
mouse. Another alternative is a keypad on the phone handset that should come
with this. As noted, seniors will all be highly comfortable with the phone, and
pressing a number on a phone can work as a means of input. Indeed, a simpler to
build UI would just have the names of all seniors on the screen with numbers,
and the senior picks up the phone and dials their number (or says their name) to
start using the system.
For many seniors there may be just one person they talk to. In that
situation, it should take nothing more than identifying to the computer, and
confirming by voice or keypad press that you want to call. If the other person
is already ready, they can initiate the call.
Since this is a video call
terminal, it should send and receive video automatically, unless told not to, at
least in calls to the recognized buddies.
(Underneath, the system could be working with multiple video and buddy systems,
so that grandchildren can be found on Skype, GMail, MSN, AOL, iChat or what have
you. The Senior should not be particularly aware of that. It should be up to the
family member to set this up, perhaps working with a
nurse or assistant.)
There’s a lot to be said for keeping the interface just like a phone call,
with the video added. It may make sense that the seniors can just go to the
handset and dial the real world 7 or 10 digit number of their relative and have
this number be recognized so that it all works. Indeed, even though the
face-recognition system might provide a simple, no-touch interface, some seniors
might adapt better to the familiarity of the phone style interface.
If headphones are to be made available, the system should remember what
volume level and left-right balance the senior uses, and set this. Initial setup
of this can be done with a simple UI, or the assistance of a helper the first
time. The system should be able to automatically detect if the user is using the
headphones, a handset or the speakerphone with no UI required to switch. It can
tell just by what volumes it gets from the microphones, off-hook signals from
the handset and echos of signals it sends out the various speakers. This does
require that all the audio devices be independent, which is becoming much more
common in modern computers and is easy to do with USB audio devices.
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The tools could all support a
shared computer better, with easier identification of who the user is and
switching, without requiring them to use the mouse or do login procedures.
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Tools could support an easy,
but reasonably secure, semi-automatic start of video, or accept a keypress from
the handset for start-video. In general a mouseless interface should be
considered.
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In general, a much cleaner UI
skin with just a few features presented unless asked for would allow better
adoption by the aged.
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Good support for multiple
audio devices. Figure out if the user is using the handset, headphones or
speaker without them having to specify. Do this by listening to all microphones
and the echo coming through them.
, the system could send calling family members to a URL for donations not
just for the video system, but to the senior home itself, making this a
money-raiser, rather than a cost.
comments
Brad, I'm delighted and encouraged by your post above. My names is James
Corbett and I received a level 1 award from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland in June
to pilot a project bringing video-calling to seniors, the disabled, carers and
other socially isolated or marginalized groups.
But our pilot project is focused on the ederly and while ultimately we want
to get to lonely individuals in their own dwellings we are starting with
retirement/senior homes, nursing homes and respite centers. There we're using a
mix of devices running Skype.
I recently acquired the first Skype Videophone - the Asus AiGuru SV1 - and
in my testing have determined that it will be a very good option. It's a
dedicated Skype device which boots straight into an optimized and more
user-friendly UI than on the PC. Navigation is via an equally user-friendly
D-pad with only a few other buttons required. I believe the elderly will have
little problem in learning to use this device un-aided.
However the device we're really looking forward to is the brand new Asus
Eee Top - the first truly affordable touchscreen PC which, I agree with you,
will make all the difference to usability. We will also be customizing the Skype
interface and configuring it for automatic call pick-up, video-on, etc.
Submitted by
brad
on Sat, 2009-01-03 16:55.
I’m also starting to wonder if the “dial a 10 digit number” isn’t a better
interface for the seniors than a login and buddy-list. As noted, a buddy list
shared among all the seniors at a senior home is a bad idea, as is having them
have to login to use it. If they dial the number of one of their relatives, the
system can immediately know who they are and who they want to talk to, without
touching the screen.
Perhaps the interface should be as simple as that. They pick it up, call
the number, and if the person is not online with skype, it calls that number via
skype-out. When the relative answers, the relative could go to their computer,
and log-in to skype, where they could place a call back to the senior home. As
soon as the box gets this call back, it would switch, as seamlessly as possible
from the PSTN/skype-out call to the live call. The senior would not even be
aware of this.
Skype could make it even better, if the client on the relative’s PC is told
about the attempted call that went to PSTN, so that the moment they log in, it
takes over the PSTN call. This “Start as PSTN” would be a useful feature for all
Skype users.
Submitted by
James Corbett (not verified) on
Mon, 2009-01-05 08:56.
I always cite the example of my father when people express doubt about the
ability of seniors to grasp new technology. He was 76 when he passed away a few
years ago and lived his life as a small farmer in rural Ireland. As such his
exposure to technology and electronics was minimal throughout his life. He was
if fact what some might call a technophobe. For instance he refused to learn how
to use the microwave oven, or to record a TV programme. BUT.... one thing he
didn't shy away from was learning how to use the Telext system once he realized
that he could access the sports results ANY time he wanted to. That was almost
miraculous to him, and significant enough that he was MOTIVATED to learn how to
use the remote control buttons. When Dad could do it, I've no doubt anyone can -
it's all about motivation, encouragement and a little hand-holding.
- elderly patients love knowing that they're getting full attention during
the conversation, unlike they often get when on the POTS (when their relatives
are often not paying attention at all, with one eye on the TV or magazine).
"How many will use a mouse and keyboard?"
That's an issue we plan to get around with (1) D-pads (as on the AiGuru),
(2) Touchscreens (Eee Top) or (3) nurses/attendants placing the call on their
behalf, or (4) Just auto-reciving the call made by a relative on a
pre-determined schedule.
2.3 Social changes
The social environment is
sometimes claimed to be underrated in this area [17], as most
attention has been given to
cognitive, physical and sensory aspects. It has however become
clear that the use of
technology by elderly
people can be directly influenced by their social
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environment [17]. Moreover,
computer technology
can have a significant influence in the
social life of
elderly people.
The most significant impact of
computer
technology on the social life of
elderly people is
that
of
computer-based
communication, the Internet being the foremost example. In social
sciences there is an ongoing
debate whether this type of communication can enhance the so
called social capital. This
social capital generally declines with age [18]. Social capital refers
to “the institutions,
relationships, and norms that shape the quality and the quantity of a
society’s social interactions”
[18]. It can be described in the following forms [18]:
- Network capital, or relations
with friends, neighbors, relatives, and workmates that
provide companionship,
emotional aid, goods and services, information, and a sense
of belonging;
- Participatory capital, or
involvement in organizations that afford opportunities for
people to bond;
- Community commitment, or a
responsible sense of belonging that mobilizes one’s
social capital effectively.
This is important to note, as
various studies, such as [18] show an increase in these forms for
elderly people when using
computer-based
communication technology.
As written by Karavidas et al.
[19], “computers can present unique opportunities for older
adults to socialize and
establish social networks that can help alleviate loneliness and
alienation.” For older people
with mobility problems or older people that life geographically
far away from their family
members, the computer-based
communication such as e-mail or
instant messaging, can provide
needed “virtual” social support from these family members.
Being an example from my
personal experience, my grandmother lives in Poland and does not
feel physically capable of
getting on the airplane every few months. Now that she and her
daughter (my aunt) can make use
of e-mail, we can exchange small messages (as opposed to
using the phone) about how
things are going, which could help her with various age-related
difficulties and her overall
well-being.
Computer-based communication gives
elderly people a
chance to participate in a wider part of
society, making it possible to
connect with people that are either similar in experience and
interest or diverse [18], thus
increasing participatory capital and possibly community
commintment.
In [18] Blit-Cohen et al.
describe that elderly
people have much to gain from this type of
communication, most importantly
that they can seek new information and disseminate their
own ideas to others, they can
acquire new social ties and discard old ones at will. Additional
characteristics are that
travelling through cyberspace does not require physical movement
(which is a factor in increased
social isolation among
elderly people [19]),
elderly people can
maintain virtual social
networks from their homes that they are not typecast according to
physical appearance and that
participation is not bound by time or place [18].
The result of this is that, in
contrast with the general population [18], the use of use of
computer-based communication by the
elderly generates
greater social connectivity among
that group.
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What should not be forgotten is
that online participation of
elderly people is not only
beneficiary to these people,
but also to the society.
Elderly people have a vast amount of
knowledge and experience in
life that they can share by using this technology, by being
involved in for example online
communities.
Not only communication using
computers can stimulate social activity by the
elderly. In
various studies on the
group-wise learning of
computer use, the observation was made that the
participants communicated
about computers [16]. Being a new experience for most of them,
and having to go trough it
together, stimulated social interaction within the group.