Older adults and the digital divide: assessing results of a Web-based survey
Journal of Technology in Human Services - New advances in technology for social work education and practice
Information, Systems and Information Systems: Making Sense of the Field
Information, Systems and Information Systems: Making Sense of the Field
Evaluating an automated mental health care system: making meaning of human-computer interaction
Computers in Human Behavior
Increasing participation in online communities: A framework for human-computer interaction
Computers in Human Behavior
Decision Support Systems
Fix my street or else: using the internet to voice local public service concerns
Proceedings of the 1st international conference on Theory and practice of electronic governance
Impact of the Internet on our lives: Male and female personal perspectives
Computers in Human Behavior
Cyber patients surfing the medical web: Computer-mediated medical knowledge and perceived benefits
Computers in Human Behavior
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
Anticipating information needs for senior portal contents
Computers in Human Behavior
Obstacles to social networking website use among older adults
Computers in Human Behavior
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The UK Government strategy for aging in the 21st Century challenges conceptions of older people as passive recipients of care and promotes their engagement as active citizens. The strategy includes a commitment to test services which embody these principles with a range of innovative pilot projects. This paper summarises research on older people's information needs and use which informed the design for one of these projects, Leeds Link-Age Plus. The research explored the complex circumstances around which older people access and use social and community information - a topic that has received limited attention in the literature. The paper is novel in considering how the use of informal networks for securing information, advice and advocacy can be supported by technology literate mediators, who may be older people, located within local community or voluntary organisations. Emphasising the mediator in design facilitates social contacts, directly addresses issues of trust and can reduce the chance of causing distress dealing with complex information. A model is suggested for using emerging technology to introduce new ways in which information for older adults can be improved by digital 'circles of support' - a form of social network where mediators collaborate to create and share self-authored content.