Harnessing the power of social media in older adult nursing.

Abstract

Social media are increasingly a part of everyday life, and many older adults are capitalising on the benefits these modes of communication bring to health and well-being. Nurses make up much of the health workforce worldwide, and yet, we are not well represented among those who use social media as a professional tool. For many reasons, nurses are often hesitant to engage with these digital platforms. Some may not appreciate the value social media offer. Others are concerned about maintaining professional reputation in virtual environments. Further still, other colleagues lack sufficient digital skills to participate in such online venues. However, when we as nurses limit our engagement in social media, we are eschewing exciting opportunities to enhance older adult health. Many vivacious seniors who are utilising social media to improve health and well-being offer us timely mentorship. Seniors today use digital platforms to gain information on diet, exercise and other topics to enrich physical, mental and social health. Exemplars from older media users are rich and varied. Blogs by pioneers such as e-Patient Dave (ePatient Dave, 2017) are popular, offering recommendations and resources on a range of issues relevant to seniors. Other older adults are creating and sharing multimedia content via social media to help educate and inform others. Radio Diaries is a podcast series that has a dedicated episode from residents of a retirement home, who share their unique stories on ageing (Radio Diaries, 2017). Each day, thousands more download or stream podcasts from health and social care providers and – importantly – from older people in their roles as patients and carers. “Silver surfers” recognise that advice from experts and lay people alike, hailing around the globe, is right at their fingertips through social media. Our voices should be part of this virtual milieu, offering older adults around the world access to our knowledge and perspectives, supporting their rights to timely high-quality information. Our engagement in social media is healthful, in and of itself. Engaging with people – old and young – helps to overcome social isolation, a clear threat to health and well-being regardless of age. Social networking sites such as Facebook™ and microblogging channels such as Twitter™ facilitate conversations and, with that, sharing personal experiences and life events. Many people are coming together through these applications, developing virtual spaces dedicated to ageing. “Senior Chatters on FB,” “Aged Pensioner Power” and “Sassy Seniors Club” are some of the many groups on Facebook set-up and used by older adults. Hashtags, instant messaging and other features within these apps enable online exchanges, facilitating organisation of activities and events, reducing social isolation and providing a mechanism for new connections. As nurses, we may prompt older people to take advantage of social media with our own engagement, as we aim to support their mental health and well-being. Demonstrating social media is an effective way to support healthy ageing requires evidence. At present, we know very little about whether and how these digital tools enhance health outcomes for older people. How frequently or intensely they should be used along with defining best ways to minimise risks is critical to safe, high-quality application in health and social care. Close partnership with Silver Surfers themselves offers untapped the opportunity to investigate the use of social media in senior health and social well-being. Undertaking robust evaluations with them would better support the use of these online tools by professionals and organisations who care for seniors. Indeed, together, nurses and seniors could consider redesigning some social media with their needs in mind. Our hope, in highlighting social media for gerontological nurses, is to catalyse meaningful action. We encourage you to embrace social media as a contemporary phenomenon in ways that suit you and your practice. Arranging or contributing to blogs, podcasts, online discussion forums and Tweetchats provides new outlets through which to share your expertise on ageing with seniors and peers alike. When communicating with colleagues, please use our hashtag #geronurses, to help other gerontological nurses locate relevant information, people and organisations online. Although maintaining a positive social media presence takes time and energy, we believe you'll find many benefits in doing so. Get involved in social media, share your knowledge and perspectives, and keep us looped in with #geronurses!