Further reading – 2 July, 2020

The University of Oxford’s population ageing institute writes on whether older workers will benefit from changes to office life in a post-COVID world.

Author Jeremy Myerson, Professor of Design at the Royal College of Art, says the global pandemic has “turned things in the workplace on its head”.

“The crisis has made employers, which have been traditionally reluctant to consider remote working, no option but to give it a go. Many older workers have been allowed to work flexibly and skip the commute – with no discernible dip in company productivity.”

Read more: https://www.ageing.ox.ac.uk/blog/Will-a-rethink-on-offices-benefit-older-workers

Age Concern blogs about the value of telehealth for older people.

“When we think of digital technology, we tend to think of younger people using their smartphones and other digital devices. But this picture doesn’t necessarily apply to telehealth. Older people have been taking up digital technology, especially during the recent lock-downs. Through this, they are able to use telehealth to improve their access to care and this may assist ageing in place, which is the preference of most older people, who prefer at-home support to moving to residential care.”

Read more: https://acnzonresearch.wordpress.com/2020/05/28/telehealth-for-older-people-beyond-the-covid-19-environment/

Louise Parr-Brownlie, director of the Ageing Well National Science Challenge, writes on the health and wellbeing of older New Zealanders.

The University of Otago scientist says that although older New Zealanders have faced the strictest social distancing guidelines along with significant suffering and impact – most have faced the impact of the virus head on.

“Most kaumātua (older people) have been stoic and resilient. They nonchalantly share that they have survived worse and they will get through this as well. They weren’t complaining about not getting takeaways, needing a fancy coffee or wanting to party with friends. They are getting on with life and things that really matter.”

Read more: https://www.otago.ac.nz/care/news/otago738849.html