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BackgroundInformal carers have a crucial role in the care of older people, but they are at risk of social isolation and psychological exhaustion. Web-based services like apps and websites are increasingly used to support informal carers in addressing some of their needs and tasks, such as health monitoring of their loved ones, information and communication, and stress management. Despite the growing number of available solutions, the lack of knowledge or skills of carers about the solutions often prevent their usage. ObjectiveThis study aimed to review and select apps and websites offering functionalities useful for informal carers of frail adults or older people in 5 European countries (Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Sweden). MethodsA systematic online search was conducted from January 2017 to mid-March 2017 using selected keywords, followed by an assessment based on a set of commonly agreed criteria and standardized tools. Selected resources were rated and classified in terms of scope. Focus groups with informal carers were conducted to validate the list and the classification of resources. The activities were conducted in parallel in the participating countries using common protocols and guidelines, a standardization process, and scheduled group discussions. ResultsFrom a total of 406 eligible resources retrieved, 138 apps and 86 websites met the inclusion criteria. Half of the selected resources (109/224, 48.7%) were disease-specific, and the remaining resources included information and utilities on a variety of themes. Only 38 resources (38/224, 17.0%) were devoted specifically to carers, addressing the management of health disturbances and diseases of the care recipient and focusing primarily on neurodegenerative diseases. Focus groups with the carers showed that almost all participants had no previous knowledge of any resource specifically targeting carers, even if interest was expressed towards carer-focused resources. The main barriers for using the resources were low digital skills of the carers and reliability of health-related apps and websites. Results of the focus groups led to a new taxonomy of the resources, comprising 4 categories: carer’s wellbeing, managing health and diseases of the care recipient, useful contacts, and technologies for eldercare. ConclusionsThe review process allowed the identification of online resources of good quality. However, these resources are still scarce due to a lack of reliability and usability that prevent users from properly benefiting from most of the resources. The involvement of end users provided added value to the resource classification and highlighted the gap between the potential benefits from using information and communication technologies and the real use of online resources by carers.

Background/Objectives: The main outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic can be used to assess the capability and sustainability of public healthcare and Long-Term Care (LTC) systems. This study aims to identify the population's demographic and socio-economic characteristics, as well as other national resources associated with the incidence and mortality of COVID-19, by comparing three European countries during the first pandemic period (Italy, Spain, and Germany). The results will identify possible strengths and weaknesses that could be considered as hints of the need for health and social intervention. Methods: Variables describing the countries' core demographics, socio-economic characteristics, and national resources were collected from 2001–2021 from well-established international databases. COVID-19 incidence and death figures from 1 March 2020 to 31 March 2021 were extracted from national health databases. Analysis focused on bivariate and weighted multivariable linear regressions between incidence, mortality, and socio-economic covariates. Results: Findings show that both care models and socio-demographic characteristics influenced the capability of the first year's response to the COVID-19 emergency. Formal public care appears to represent the most effective strategy against incidence and mortality regarding COVID-19, especially for older people, because it mitigates the adverse effects of socio-economic characteristics. Conclusions: Current strategies oriented towards privatizing care should, therefore, be considered critically, since they may result in weaker protection of vulnerable groups, such as frail older people, due to the unequal position of individuals with different socio-economic conditions in purchasing services from the care market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older people often report functional limitations and low digital skills, with the latter hampering the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and having potentially negative consequences on their social isolation and loneliness. Against this background, we present some findings from the "Inclusive ageing in place" (IN-AGE) study, carried out in 2019 in Italy. This study explored seniors' abilities and difficulties with the independent use of mobile phones, smartphones, and tablets/personal computers (PCs). Qualitative/semi-structured interviews involved 120 seniors aged 65 years and over, living alone in three Italian regions (Lombardy, Marche, and Calabria). Purposive sampling was conducted, and quantitative/qualitative analyses were performed. The main results showed that smartphones and PCs/tablets were used by older respondents living mainly in the north and in urban sites to talk with family members and less for other functionalities (e.g., internet). Those more educated and without serious functional limitations were more capable of utilising ICTs. Seniors using ICTs reported mainly low/moderate loneliness and less social isolation. Therefore, technological tools have the potential to mitigate both, even though some barriers (e.g., poor health, low education) can hinder this opportunity. These results can offer insights for policymakers to design adequate policies (e.g., e-training programs) for seniors, to facilitate their inclusion in digital society, thus enabling social sustainability in an ageing population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the active ageing concept generally has positive connotations, with expected benefits at the micro, meso and macro levels, the application of this concept in terms of policy making presents challenges and risks to be avoided (for instance, a predominantly productivist interpretation and a top-down imposition with limited possibilities for bottom-up exchanges; or a disregard for the risk of excluding older people with more disadvantaged backgrounds). Two crucial strategies to minimise risks are the implementation of policies by considering and respecting territorial diversity, and the involvement of all the relevant stakeholders in a participatory consultative and co-decisional approach. This paper entwines both strategies together by focusing on Italian in-country differences in terms of active ageing, and employing the Active Ageing Index for policy-making purposes. This activity is part of a governmental national pilot project aimed at promoting multilevel co-managed co-ordination of active ageing policies across Italy. The analysis identified five groups of regions that differ from the classical, geographic and socio-economic division between the North, Centre and South. Additional in-group analyses were conducted to investigate within-cluster differences. This study will inform a large multilevel stakeholder network for evidence-based policies and their monitoring at both the national and regional levels, in line with the perspective of mainstreaming ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews recent international literature on the opportunities and restrictions experienced by older people to act as volunteers in civil society organizations. Our aim was to develop a conceptual framework applicable to the European ageing society. This aim was pursued through a computerized database search focused on studies analyzing the individual, organizational, and/or societal levels. Findings show that senior volunteers are characterized by "younger" age, good health, and a high level of both educational and socioeconomical status. Volunteers are involved mainly in religious organizations as well as in social and personal care, while main barriers are represented especially by ageist practices. The review shows that the debate on this topic has been barely developed in Europe, both from an individual and societal point of view. Therefore, European countries might take advantage from experiences made in other contexts, but the identification of how this can occur requires further and more specific cross-national research. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)