Table 1.
Structure and delivery characteristics of digital intergenerational program.
| Program, country | Participants | Program detail | ||||||||
|
|
Age (years) | Older adults, n | Lonely or socially isolated | Settings | Duration | Strategy | Intergenerational component | Device | Training for older adult | |
| ACTION [62], Norway | 57-85 | 19 | Not specified | Community- dwelling | 12 months | Participants received a modern broadband-linked PC, and an ICTa course consisting of three 3-hour classes dispersed over a 3-week period. | Email with grandchildren | Computer | Yes | |
| ACTION (redesigned) [63], Sweden | 66-85 | 8 | Not specified | Community- dwelling | Not specified | The app integrated a web-based multimedia system and the video communication system into a single user interface. Users could access a variety of multimedia information programs in the ACTION database and use the videoconferencing device for consultation and social purposes. | Video call with family | Computer | Yes | |
| ACTIVE [52], Norway | Mean 78.3 (SD 12.5) | 15 | Not specified | Long-term residential care | 1 year | Participants were provided with an internet connected tablet, free of charge, to use as they liked for an unlimited period. The iPad was set up with an individual user account, including email, Apple-ID, Skype-ID, passwords, and codes. | Messaging, video call, and email with younger generations of family, for example, grandchildren | Apple iPad | Yes | |
| AGES 2.0 [48], United Kingdom | 60-95 | 53 | Not specified | Community- dwelling and long-term residential care (care homes) | 12 months | Participants received a customized computer platform with a simplified touchscreen interface (“EasyPC”) and any necessary broadband infrastructure. “Care technologists” administered the training. | Digital interaction (email, Skype, or Facebook) with younger generations of family, for example, children and grandchildren | Customized computer platform with a simplified touchscreen interface | Yes | |
| AO [73], Australia | 58-81 | 7 | Yes | Community- dwelling | 8 months | Participants were provided Apple iPad with cellular access, along with vouchers for data access throughout the project, and App Store card for buying apps. | Messaging with younger generations of family, for example, children | Apple iPad | Yes | |
| Collage and storytelling [71], Australia | Not specified | 3 | Not specified | Community- dwelling | 3 weeks | The system used combines the “Collage” component and the “Storytelling” component. | Digital intergenerational play and storytelling with grandchildren | Touch screen monitor | No | |
| Demiris et al [58], United States | >65 | 4 | Not specified | Long-term residential care (assisted living retirement facility) | 3 months | The videophone can display 3 kinds of real-time images during a video call: self, other party, and a combination of both, depending on user preference. It plugs into a regular telephone and does not interfere with its use. A video call is possible only when both parties have videophone units and consent to a video call. | Video call and email with younger generations of family, for example, grandchildren | Video-telephone | No | |
| Digital age [59], Northern Ireland | Not specified | 82 | Not specified | Long-term residential care (social housing) | 10 weeks | Digital Age consisted of a free, in-house, 10-week IT course for residents. The program also provided free IT hardware for each participating housing scheme, free web-based digital toolkits for older learners and their supporters, and a series of intergenerational digital projects to encourage links between older and younger people, further develop residents’ digital capabilities and help to sustain the program beyond the program lifetime. | Video call with family | Not specified | Yes | |
| Esc@pe [75], Netherlands | Mean 66 | 12 | Yes | Community- dwelling | 3 years | At the start of the project, participants were given five 2-hour lessons at home by experienced teachers. During these lessons, the participants learned how to email and how to use the internet. During the rest of the project, the participants were supported and coached by visiting volunteers who had also paid home visits to the participants once every 2 or 3 weeks before the start of the pilot project. | Using internet and email to communicate with family | Computer | Yes | |
| InTouch [61], Canada | Mean 92.2 (SD 3.0) | 11 | Not specified | Long-term residential care | 12 weeks | Veteran and volunteer participants were each given an iPad with the InTouch app on it, as well as a detailed instructions manual. | Using InTouch app to communicate with family | Apple iPad | Yes | |
| LINE [54], Taiwan | Mean 81.1 (SD 8.5) | 32 | Not specified | Long-term residential care (nursing home) | 6 months | Participants interacted with their family members once a week for 6 months using a smartphone and the “LINE” app. Discussion topics were provided to nurses and the participants, such as their meals, organized activities, and “news” on nursing home life. | Video call with family | Smartphone | No | |
| Loi et al [57], Australia | Mean 69.9 | 5 | Not specified | Long-term residential care (aged care facility) | 6 weeks | Structured 6-week, twice weekly program of 45-minute duration based on a local program was used for older adults (internet for Seniors). Apple iPads were used. | Digital interaction with family | Apple iPad | Yes | |
| Media Parcels [64], United Kingdom | 82 | 1 | Not specified | Community- dwelling | Not specified | A facilitator, upon specific requests to participants, collects media and wraps them in text commentary, bringing out their memories and meaning. Next, the facilitator passes the wrapped media parcel to a target person, who in turn unwraps them. | Digital interaction with children | Not specified | Not specified | |
| MSNb or Skype [55],Taiwan | Mean 74.4 (SD 10.2) | 24 | Not specified | Long-term residential care (nursing home) | 3 months | The videoconference program was designed for once a week (the in-person visiting frequency for most families) and to last for 3 months to provide time for adjustment to a new program. The residents were helped to use the videoconference technology by a trained research assistant, who spent at least 5 minutes per week with the residents at the appointment time. | Video call with family | Computer | No | |
| Neves et al [56], Canada | 74-95 | 12 | Not specified | Long-term residential care (retirement home) | 3 months | The app allowed residents to send and receive photos, audio, video, and text messages with sent messages being predefined to increase simplicity. The residents’ contacts could respond using their own emails and devices. | Using app to communicate with younger generations of family, for example, children | Apple iPad | Yes | |
| Plymouth SeniorNet [65], United Kingdom | One-to-one help: mean 79.0 (SD 7.5); group help: mean 74.3 (SD 8.2) | 144 | Not specified | Community- dwelling | Depends | Sessions by volunteers covered basic computer use, how to get on the web and search the internet, shopping, email, Skype or FaceTime, and web-based news and entertainment. | Digital interaction with family | Computer | Yes | |
| PRISM [66], United States | Mean 76.9 (SD 7.3) | 300 | Not specified | Community- dwelling | 12 months | PRISM software app included internet access, an annotated resource guide, a dynamic classroom feature, a calendar, a photo feature, email, games, and web-based help. | Digital interaction with family | Computer | Yes | |
| Skype [53], United States | 71-97 | 40 | Not specified | Long-term residential care (nursing home) | 14 weeks | The Skype videoconferencing intervention took place on a weekly for a total of 10 sessions over a 14-week period in a private room at the nursing home. | Video call with family | Computer | No | |
| Skype on Wheel [60], United States | Not specified | 20 | Not specified | Long-term residential care (care home) | 6 weeks | Students from local school and older adults across 3 care homes in engaged in Skype video calls over a 6-week study. Residents were supported by care staff; students accessed Skype from school laptops. A conversational aid was trialed with students to assist their conversation with an older generation. | Video call with students | Wheeled device that could hold an iPad and handset | No | |
| StoryBox [70], country not specified | 63-76 | 8 | Not specified | Community- dwelling | 2-4 weeks | StoryBox alleviates the barriers of communication between different generations. For young grandchildren, this often means the sharing of crafts, drawings, stickers, and short exclamations. For grandparents, the device provides a way to digitize analog memories and use handwriting for communication. | Digital sharing of photos and audio recordings with grandchildren | Smartphone and tablet | No | |
| Tech Allies [77], United States | Mean 75 (SD 7.9) | 83 | Yes | Community- dwelling | 2 months | Participants took part in 8 weekly, 1:1 digital training sessions. Participants each received a tablet, a tablet case, a stylus, broadband access or a hot spot device, and a certificate of completion at the end of the program. | Digital interaction with family | Tablet | Yes | |
| Tele-BA [74], United States | Mean 74.4 (SD 8.2) | 43 | Yes | Community- dwelling | 12 weeks | Lay counselors delivered videoconference behavioral activation | Videoconference behavioral activation by lay counselors | Computer | No | |
| Telesenior [67], Belgium | Mean 72 (SD 9.3) | 71 | Not specified | Community- dwelling | Not specified | The telenurses delivered psychosocial support and educational interventions based on 3 principles: contact and communication, safety and protection, and care mediation. | Video call with nurse | Video-telephone | No | |
| Tlatoque [68], Mexico | Not specified | 2 | Not specified | Community- dwelling | 21 weeks | Tlatoque communicates to Facebook site to expose photographs in the participant’s home and provides means of reciprocating information into Facebook. | Digital interaction with younger generations of family, for example, children and grandchildren | Digital picture frame with wireless capabilities or PC with multitouch screen | Yes | |
| White et al [76], United States | Mean 71 (SD 12) | 48 | Not specified | Community- dwelling and long-term residential care (nursing facility) | 5 months | Participants received 9 hours of small group training in 6 sessions over 2 weeks. Computers were available for continued use over 5 months and the trainer was available 2 hours per week for questions. | Digital interaction with family | Computer | Yes | |
| Williams et al [72], United States | Phase 1: 59-86; phase 2 54-82 | Phase 1: 16; phase 2: 29 | Yes | Community- dwelling | 2 weeks | The course on computer-mediated communication lasted for six 2- hour classes. Each course followed the same module: introduction to computer-mediated communication, email and instant messaging, microblogging: Twitter, social networking sites: Facebook, video chat, and web-based safety. | Digital interaction with family | Computer | Yes | |
| You, me and television [69], Portugal | 65-73 | 3 | Not specified | Community- dwelling | 3-6 weeks | The system has three main features: (1) user feed; (2) managing groups of friends; and (3) photo viewing and sharing. | Digital interaction with family | Television | Yes | |
aICT: information and communications technology.
bMSN: Microsoft Network.