Report: 22 Million U.S. Seniors Lack Broadband Internet Access; First Time Study Quantifies Digital Isolation of Older Americ...
January 27 2021 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
OATS, in Partnership with the Humana
Foundation, Launches Unprecedented Effort to Bring Internet to One
Million Older Adults by 2022
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Among National
Leaders Calling for Action to Expand Broadband
Older Adults Technology Services, Inc. (OATS), in partnership
with the Humana Foundation, today released a new report that for
the first time quantifies the size and degree of the digital
isolation crisis among seniors in the United States, finding nearly
22 million older Americans continue to lack broadband access at
home. Stressing the importance of digital health tools and social
connectedness amid the coronavirus pandemic, OATS and The Humana
Foundation are launching a new effort to close the technology
adoption gap through Aging Connected – a national campaign to bring
at least a million older Americans online with high-speed internet
by 2022.
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the full release here:
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The report – Aging Connected: Exposing the Hidden Connectivity
Crisis for Older Adults – commissioned new research by two leading
academics on the digital technology gap: John Horrigan from The
Technology Policy Institute and Erin York Cornwell from Cornell
University. Drawing on this new analysis, as well as more than 15
years of applied learning at OATS, the report presents a detailed
portrait of digitally disconnected older adults in America,
touching on how many people remain offline, which demographics are
disproportionately affected, and more.
“America’s older population is facing a public health crisis as
the digital divide restricts their ability to stay healthy,
meaningfully engaged, and financially secure amid the pandemic and
beyond,” said Thomas Kamber, executive director of Older Adults
Technology Services. “This new research shows that America is
failing to close the digital gap for older adults, who more than
ever need the tools to be connected and engaged online. Through our
nationwide Aging Connected initiative, OATS looks forward to
working with nonprofit organizations, corporate partners, and
government policymakers to close the technology gap and expand
affordable, quality broadband opportunities for America’s
seniors.”
“The data is clear: Older adults have been falling increasingly
behind in digital connectivity, which negatively affects their
overall health and well-being,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten
Gillibrand (D-NY). “OATS’ new Aging Connected campaign is playing a
critical role in bringing together public and private stakeholders
to make sure American seniors can continue thriving – especially
during a pandemic that has kept so many stuck at home. We need
lawmakers in Washington and across statehouses to act to increase
affordable access to broadband services and help millions of
seniors stay engaged online.”
Key findings from the study include:
- Nearly 22 million American seniors do not have wireline
broadband access at home, representing 42 percent of the nation’s
over-65 population.
- More than 80% of COVID deaths in the U.S. have been older
Americans. OATS estimates that approximately 40% of them were
unable to access needed online resources from home during the
pandemic.
- Technology is exacerbating social divisions and
inequalities. OATS’ research found disturbing correlations
between digital disengagement and race, disability, health status,
educational attainment, immigration, rural residence, and
income.
- A review of existing digital inclusion efforts targeting
seniors found a hodgepodge of offerings, with large sections of the
country served by no significant low-cost offerings or age-friendly
initiatives. The programs that do exist are virtually all
sponsored by telecommunications companies in collaboration with
nonprofit partners, with no direct public sector support.
- Poor broadband not only limits access to essential public
health information, social services, and digital healthcare
services like telehealth and apps that manage chronic conditions,
but it can also lead to risk of social isolation, which has been
linked to negative health outcomes, reduced quality of life and
premature death.
- Evidence shows that public-private partnerships can not only
increase connectivity access, but also produce positive
social outcomes as a result of increased digital
engagement.
Based on the findings in the report, OATS and the Humana
Foundation will work through their joint Aging Connected initiative
to bridge the connectivity gap for older Americans through a
four-pronged approach:
- Publicize and clearly articulate the value of broadband to
seniors. Many seniors do not connect to broadband even when
they have affordable access because they do not see or understand
the value or are intimidated by the perceived complexity of getting
online. Marketing and publicity efforts must address both low-cost
and market-rate options to reach diverse audiences of offline
seniors.
- Prioritize social equity and inclusion. OATS’ research
highlights the socio-economic and geographic disparities that
intersect with issues of connectivity among older adults.
Geographies with comparatively high age-based disparities or high
concentrations of poverty and underserved demographics should be
prioritized for action. Policymakers and stakeholders must be made
aware that digital inclusion is a social equity issue.
- Expand access to low-cost offers. The wide disparity in
programs and coverage for affordable broadband should be corrected.
Aging Connected urges telecom providers, in partnership with
nonprofit supporters, to embrace the best practices around
affordability and extend these programs to serve meaningful numbers
of older adults, including veterans, lower-income and disabled
seniors, and enrollees in major social service programs.
- Develop content, communities and experience for older adults
to increase utilization of broadband services. Aging Connected
proposes investing in and extending targeted content and
communities that make older adults feel at home online, with a
special emphasis on high value topics such as digital health,
social engagement, and financial security.
Through Aging Connected, OATS is coordinating the efforts of
telecommunications companies, nonprofit senior service providers,
and public sector agencies to help seniors maximize the benefit of
broadband internet.
“Our partnership with OATS illustrates The Humana Foundation’s
commitment to health equity and addressing the social determinants
of health,” said Walter D. Woods, CEO of The Humana Foundation. “By
enabling more seniors to use technology and access high-speed
internet, we can help seniors understand and access digital health
services and telemedicine, improving the quality of healthcare they
receive. Additionally, Aging Connected will help seniors combat
loneliness and increase their sense of social connectedness by
engaging people safely at home. We call on other community leaders,
businesses, and philanthropic funders to join us in committing to
this important initiative.”
Older adults can call the Aging Connected hotline at (877)
745-1930 to get help from an OATS Senior Planet trainer to find
low-cost internet options in their area. OATS will be
announcing additional private and public partnerships in the future
to help bridge the digital divide for older adults.
To learn more about the findings from the report, please visit
www.agingconnected.org.
About OATS
Founded in 2004, OATS is an award-winning social change
organization that offers technology programs, community training,
and strategic engagements to shape the future of aging. OATS
applies a deep understanding of both aging and technology to
engineer innovative solutions for cities, foundations, and leading
corporations, shifting the narratives around aging and addressing
the vital needs of older adults. OATS is also the creator and
sponsor of Senior Planet, a national program that helps more than
30,000 Americans aged 60 and older thrive in the digital world and
use technology to improve their social engagement, financial
security, civic participation, health, and creativity. Its popular
content and learning website seniorplanet.org has more than one
million visitors each year. OATS has received extensive press
coverage from PBS, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the
TODAY Show, NPR, The Economist, and many other local, national, and
international media outlets for its unique perspective on aging in
America.
About The Humana Foundation
The Humana Foundation was established in 1981 as the
philanthropic arm of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), one of the nation’s
leading health and well-being companies. Located in Louisville,
Ky., the Foundation seeks to co-create communities where
leadership, culture, and systems work to improve and sustain
positive health outcomes. For more information, visit
humanafoundation.org.
Humana and The Humana Foundation are dedicated to Corporate
Social Responsibility. Our goal is to ensure that every business
decision we make reflects our commitment to improving the health
and well-being of our members, our employees, the communities we
serve, and our planet.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210127005243/en/
John Kim For OATS jkim@skdknick.com
Leslie Clements Humana Corporate Communications
lclements@humana.com
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