Purposeful social media as support platform: communication frameworks for older adults requiring care

Despite more and more people adopting Social Networking Sites (SNSs) such as Facebook, adults over 65 years of age still make up a relatively small percentage of those numbers. A perceived lack of purpose is suggested as one of the key issues surrounding the lack of interest of older adults, yet with health benefits associated with usage, such as increased social capital and community belonging, there is a unique opportunity present to develop social media that help carers stay in touch with patients and provide support when needed while providing these benefits. Technology can send information to carers, so an easy and secure framework for communication could provide significant emotional support for those who require it. Current work in the field suggests that such a platform could be designed and implemented to complement existing telecare systems.