title: Fostering Social Innovation For Active Ageing
title: Tackling later life loneliness
titleType: Subtitle
Creators: name: Sharma, Dhruv
Publisher: name: Lancaster University
Year: 2018
Subjects: loneliness
ageing
innovation
design
action research
ethnography
aging
older
older adults
social isolation
isolation
design ethnography
social innovation
active ageing
active aging
social innovation for active ageing
elderly
aged
gerontology
geriatrics
ageing studies
Systematic Literature Review
literature review
twitter
prototyping
iterative prototyping

description: Later life loneliness is a major social issue as it is increasing
      alongside an upward global population trend which predicts that nearly 22%
      of the world population will be aged 60 years or over by 2050. This
      ‘silver tsunami’, an unparalleled growth of the older population, will
      exert socioeconomic pressure globally on healthcare, housing demand,
      consumer segmentation, etc. This thesis suggests that currently there is
      an underrepresentation of radical innovation, and underutilisation of
      digital technologies in developing loneliness interventions for older
      adults, and argues that due to the unprecedented nature of this
      demographic surge, we cannot rely on conventional ways of thinking and
      doing things.
      
      This thesis proposes a theoretical framework called Social Innovation for
      Active Ageing (SIFAA), as a way to develop more radical-digital loneliness
      interventions. SIFAA blends social innovation and activity theory of
      ageing and in doing so, expands current knowledge in both areas. To
      highlight the strengths and limitations of SIFAA, this thesis uses a
      triangulated approach, and discusses findings from a systematic literature
      review, interviews with experts, and an action research based trial. While
      the 196 loneliness interventions examined in the systematic literature
      review highlight the current gap in knowledge represented by a lack of
      radical-digital loneliness interventions, the interviews with 9 experts
      emphasise possible reasons for this gap. The action research based trial
      carried out during 16 weeks of ethnographic fieldwork on the other hand,
      offers practical insights into operationalising SIFAA to conceive and
      implement a radical-digital loneliness intervention for older adults. This
      thesis also highlights the vital role that digital technologies can play
      in facilitating the development and implementation of radical loneliness
      interventions.
      
      By suggesting the hybridisation of social innovation and activity theory
      of ageing, this research argues that a contextual view be adapted to
      design suitable loneliness interventions for older adults, such that the
      ageing population becomes a part of the solution, and not just the
      problem. This thesis suggests that by using creative tools and techniques,
      designers can either help develop new radical-digital loneliness
      interventions, or transform or scale existing interventions such that they
      represent radical innovation, and utilise digital technologies. It offers
      a framework utilising SIFAA that uses the tools and techniques developed
      during this study to deploy radical-digital loneliness interventions. The
      discussion herein is aimed at making a positive contribution to the field
      of developing, implementing, and evaluating non- pharmacological
      loneliness interventions for older adults.