Closing the digital gap: promoting the right to health of elderly individuals in long-term care settings

Résumé fourni par la source

Access to health-related information is fundamental to the elderly’s autonomy, well-being, and social inclusion. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms the right to seek, receive, and impart information freely. In line with this, the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (2002) stresses the importance of ensuring that elderly persons benefit from new technologies, including accessible and user-friendly digital tools. Similarly, the Council of the European Union, in 2020, emphasized the promotion of digital inclusion for the elderly, taking into account their diverse needs and living environments. Despite increasing policy attention, many elderly individuals – particularly those in long-term care (LTC) settings – continue to face exclusion from digital resources. This exclusion stems from multiple barriers, including physical and cognitive impairments, socioeconomic disparities, limited digital literacy, and ageist attitudes. These challenges are further exacerbated by the poor usability of digital tools and underdeveloped telehealth infrastructures. Bridging the digital divide is thus essential to safeguarding the right to health of older adults, especially those in LTC settings who are among the most vulnerable. This study aims to promote the right to health in LTC contexts by addressing the digital divide from both the users’ and providers’ perspectives. It seeks to answer two central questions: 1) How does the digital divide affect the right to health of the elderly in long-term care settings? 2) What are effective practices to bridge this divide and uphold the right to health for the elderly?

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.