Host: The Japan Association for Social Informatics
Pages 179-182
Based on recent increase in the elderly living alone who have a high risk of isolation,a model of "supporters support the elderly who have never used ICT" was constructed and examined. Nine elders (5 males and 4 females) living in a large housing complex in Tokyo tried e-mail and Skype by using a simple ICT machine for three months. Seven supporters helped them in operating a machine and promoting their communication. The result shows that the role of supporters is quite useful to promote communication among the elderly. It is very important to train supporters who can take roles of both helping in operating an ICT machine and supporting communication.
