USING VIDEOPHONES AS INTERGENERATIONAL CONNECTIONS FOR QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES

摘要

The videophone can be useful in enhancing the quality of life of the elderly and providing a learning experience for youth. Feelings of loneliness and isolation often due to the lack of social contact are frequently found in elderly populations. Loneliness has been described as "such a painful and frightening experience that people will do practically anything to avoid it."[l] Many elderly do not receive regular visits from friends and family because of distance and time. Many school children do not have living grandparents and therefore miss out on learning the wisdom of the elderly. New communications technologies provide a variety of solutions that can address this problem. Moreover, it appears that the bi-directional influence of the elderly and youth is a neglected area of research. [2] This presentation sheds light on how videophones can connect the elderly and school children to improve the quality of life of the elderly in long term facilities and help students to understand the vicissitudes of life.