Older people and technology

Age campaigners will be showcasing ways to get older people involved in the digital age at an event in Swansea tomorrow.

Age Cymru, Age Cymru Swansea Bay and Age Cymru Ceredigion are to run a workshop at conference in the city.

It will take place at the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and Communities 2.0 ‘Volunteering in a Digital Age' conference at the Richard Ley Development Centre.
   
The workshop will focus on how volunteers can help to train older people to use technology as Age Cymru's Health Ageing Manager Claire Bottomley says:

"Digital technology such as computers and mobile phones is transforming people's lives.

"Despite this, it is estimated that around a third of the adult population in Wales (785,000 people) currently do not regularly use the internet and the majority of those are likely to be older people.

"Going online can improve the quality of our lives and help people to access to public services from home, obtain goods more easily and at lower prices and allow us to communicate with family members, friends and other like-minded people.

"We want to let more older people know about the benefits of using digital technology such as the internet, so that they can also get the most from the digital age."  

Claire Bottomley; Christine Shipton, Ann Goold and Don O'Callaghan from Age Cymru Swansea Bay and Gwyneth Jones - Director of Age Cymru Ceredigion and will be running the workshop.

Mary Pitson, Chief Executive Officer of Age Cymru Swansea Bay says:

"We're very pleased to be able to work in partnership with volunteers and Age Cymru at this conference, which aims to demonstrate the use of digital technology in relation to volunteering and to inspire and equip volunteer managers and others to develop their use of digital technology in the context of their work."