Geographies of Transport and Ageing by Angela Curl & Charles Musselwhite

Author:Angela Curl & Charles Musselwhite
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

Conclusion

The premise of the Window to the Outside World project was to ‘bring the outside in’ to largely housebound rural older adults. In doing so, viewers would be presented with a virtual means of seeing familiar places and watching local activities that they would be expected to hold some sort of connection with (due to, e.g., living in the local area where the footage was recorded). Such remote access to familiar and meaningful footage carries the potential to expand one’s personal resources for stimulating imaginative mobility , reinforcing a sense of connection with spaces that hold emotional or physical meanings for them outside the confines of their home. Where social encounters with others can ‘nourish’ existing place attachment ties, we propose that being able to regularly watch footage of familiar sights and scenes could also reinforce and enrich these important connections. Many of the interviewees and evaluators had previously held long-standing roles in their communities either in the area where they currently lived or where they had previously lived. The prospect of continuing a sense of engagement in the communities they were once vibrant members of may be particularly beneficial for older adults. Using the technology as a supplementary interest to the television may be beneficial for purposes of distraction for those with physical health problems in rural areas, which has been identified as beneficial, for example, for those who suffer from chronic pain (Hoffman et al. 2002). Furthermore, the continuity benefits and upholding meaningful connections may be particularly useful at times of transition in later life, including the sudden or gradual disengagement from activities outwith the home which commonly accompanies limited mobility . Our research findings infer that digital technology that facilitates visual and audio access to familiar or meaningful places could support well-being amongst older adults who are largely housebound and living in rural areas.

The delivery of clinical services through the use of telemedicine could be expanded to incorporate aspects of Window to the Outside World as a means of bolstering overall well-being for older adults who are residing at home, yet whose physical mobility is limited. Use of such technology is not designed nor intended to replace any opportunities to physically take part in local activities and socialise. Instead, it could offer a supplementary means of reviving connections that may lie dormant due to physical restrictions. It could instigate pleasure as well as other potential benefits, such as identity continuity and supplementary means of gaining benefits from nature which largely housebound older adults may otherwise have limited access to. This type of technology could broaden access to the natural sights that interviewees enjoyed currently observing from their homes. It presents an opportunity to engage with current local activities, whilst enriching meaningful connections from the past through imaginative mobility . Increasing numbers of older adults are adopting the use of tablets, thus the expectations of what they should be able to do (along with the ever-expanding range of what technology can allow users to do) will undoubtedly also increase.

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