ABSTRACT
Clearly, an ageing population presents many challenges, but above all they should be valued by society at large not least because of their social capital.
More than nine million people in England and Wales are now aged over 65. This is a fi gure that is likely to increase by more than two million in the next few years as the post-war ‘baby boomer’ generation retires. This by anyone’s standards is a signifi cant number of people, and includes older people in good health and poor health; those who are physically or socially isolated as well as those living with or supported by families; those who are digitally connected; and those who are digitally excluded (Ayres, 2013). The report by the Nominet Trust entitled Can Online Innovations Enhance Social Care? argued that technology provides many different ways of connecting people and resources, and that this should enable the design and delivery of appropriate care services to celebrate and value the life experience and wisdom offered by the older people they are supporting.
