Older people

• Identifying needs and pathways
• Key Organisations
• Using the web

Woolcott Research, Information and Communications Strategy Study: an Evaluation of the Information Needs and Communications Preferences of Older People, Department of Social Security, Sydney, 1997.
This research project identified the information needs of people approaching or in retirement, and looked at the most appropriate ways in which this information should be conveyed to them. Findings included:

• Pathways
  Panelists unanimously agreed that finding out about retirement is like disappearing into a maze with no apparent exit and no signposts. They felt there was no central reference point or checklist to help them. The first issue for most of them was "knowing what they need to know". When it came to intermediaries there was total confusion, uncertainty and suspicion. ..the issue was "where should I go first".
  
  54% of respondents nominated family and friends as useful information sources, thereby emphasising the need to ensure that information is disseminated to the community beyond the primary target to try to eliminate misinformation from well meaning, but not always well equipped friends and family.
• Face to face assistance
  There was a unanimous feeling from both older people and the intermediaries that dealt with them that face to face advice and information was the most effective. There was a sense that this would be the most personal and "relevant" because it could be tailored to the individual's needs. There was great appeal in the ability to ask questions and have things clarified in a one on one environment. There was evidence that many of these people saw face to face meetings as the only way to develop trust and a relationship of which they could be confident.
• Telephone assistance
  The most positive aspect of telephone contact and referral was that it had a human element and could be tailored to the individual case situation so the advice was "expected" to be accurate. There were, however, considerable reservations and concerns about telephone advice. Many people felt the anonymity gave the advisers a way of "hiding" or "disappearing" and that this increased the risk of inconsistent advice. There was some concern about the lack of proof and a record of the advice given.
  
  Many were also discouraged by the fact that they had long waits for phones to be answered and regardless of this not costing them anything it made them impatient and frustrated with the whole process. This also created an impression that the staff were under great pressure and this in turn put pressure on older people who suggested " I don't want to be any trouble, dear" Many of the people in these groups had some loss of hearing and therefore found the telephone difficult. The elderly were also reported to find touch phones difficult to use and to shun them if their hearing was at all impaired.
• Written information
  This was clearly a two edged sword with a very strong positive response to the potential for this to support contact with an adviser. It was widely noted by intermediaries that face to face consultation worked best in conjunction with written "take-away" reference to the topic discussed. "they only remember what you tell them for about as long as it takes to get home, and they need a record of some kind to discuss with their kids or their accountant".
  
  However there was also clear evidence that detailed written material was often so daunting that it was not read in any depth. A repeated comment about information was that it was always too detailed suggesting that a significant proportion of people have real difficulty in absorbing any depth of information and/or a need for more preliminary broad based information -- possibly the signposts currently missing from the "information maze". These people sought simple, brief and short explanations and often complained that this was the opposite of what they received. It was apparent that many of these people read very little. It seemed that even their newspaper consumption was primarily headlines and short articles about familiar subjects rather than the more technical information contained in investment and government advisors. There was a plea for summaries in documents and better guides on how to find the information.
  
  The exception to the general desire for overview rather than detail was noted among some ethnic groups (particularly from some Asian countries} who were very much aware that policies are mostly written for white Australians, and want to have every single detail spelled out. This was to enable them to have everything interpreted in great detail, and to afford the opportunity to discuss it all with their family where relevant before they signed anything.
  
  Respondents indicated that a much broader range of sources could be useful. This reflects qualitative findings, which indicate that it is a lack of knowledge of sources, rather than a lack of sources which is a major barrier to effective dissemination.

• See Just Search database

• Older Australians Online, National Office for the Information Economy, 2002
  A discussion of how older Australians are using the web