Educating the isolated ageing: improving the quality of life of the housebound elderly through educational teleconferencing

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Abstract
Educational programmes for older people can equip them with knowledge and skills to help them maintain their independence. However, housebound frail elderly people are usually denied the opportunity to benefit from educational programmes which might assist them to better manage their difficulties and improve their quality of life. This paper reports on a recent study with 18 relatively isolated, housebound, frail elderly people aged from 58 to 92 years old who took part in an eight‐week educational programme by teleconference. The programme content was designed to stimulate their thinking and provide practical information which might assist them to cope better with their situation. Although all participants suffered from one or more disabling illnesses, and the majority came from quite limited educational backgrounds, all remained committed to the programme. Assessments indicated that quality of life improvements had taken place throughout the programme suggesting the need for further trials of a similar nature with other groups of isolated ageing people.