Exploring the Access and Use of Social Technologies by Older Adults in Support of Their Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Review.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdowns disproportionately affect older people where most suffer from social isolation and loneliness, which translate into higher rates of depression and anxiety. This study aimed to explore the accessibility, outcomes, and challenges of social technology use among community-dwelling older adults, older adults in long-term care, older adults with neurocognitive disorder, and older adults with pre-frailty and frailty, to help guide future research in this area. A rapid review was conducted, and articles were retrieved from four online databases, including Medline, AgeLine, EconLit and CINAHL, and grey literature from Google Scholar.

Managers' and Administrators' Perspectives on Digital Technology Use in Regional Long-Term Care Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In this paper, we explore managers' and administrators' perspectives on digital technology use for residents during province-wide lockdowns (June-August 2021) during the COVID-19 pandemic in seven regional long-term care homes (LTC) in Niagara, Canada. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants representing operational, financial, and recreational departments where we discussed their needs and factors influencing the use of digital technology during the phases of increased restrictions on visitors and social isolation. Our findings indicate extensive use of cellular devices including smartphones, however additional iPads were needed to meet the ever-rising demand for virtual connections.