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by David Black working at DBFUK responding to Cross-cutting challenge areas
I am interested in exploring
As the end of free TV licences for the vast majority of senior citizens fast approaches (by the end of May 2020) this group faces a stark choice - pay up or lose your television! I know of numerous senior citizens for whom TV is the only entertainment, sometimes the only voice they may hear on a daily basis for the vast majority of the day. One guy (in his mid 80's) that I know already is paying almost £60 per month to watch a limited number of football games which he really enjoys. You can imagine that he's not pleased by what he's currently paying, so the addition of a TV licence fee is not welcome news. I, having just started to get into tech in my mid 40's have heard a lot of stories about how younger people no longer watch TV or the kind of entertainment that requires a TV licence, for example some online content. I would like to explore how easy it would be to introduce technology and possibly alternative ways of obtaining entertainment, to this cohort. Could it possibly work?
My motivation is
A little know fact about TV licence rules relates to when an elderly person moves from home to a care home setting, but does not require a TV in the room that they live in at the care home. For example a mother and son live in a property, the free TV licence resides in the name of the mother at her home residence. On moving to a care home after dementia taking hold and mother losing capacity, she no longer recognises what a TV is, so does not require a TV. The free TV licence is still valid for the home property owned by mother and son, so the TV at home remains in use for free. The TV is old and it stops working (sound works but not the picture). Free TV licences are due to end so the TV needs to go to avoid a fine being payable by the son who has gone off watch TV in the year or so that TV has been partially working. He worries about his senior citizen neighbours who threaten not to pay for a TV licence in protest. He considers if any alternative to TV for him and for them exists.
Project focus
I want to focus on:
- Enablement & Radical Trust
Collaboration
I am looking for an academic partner in:
- Data science & engineering
- Social science (e.g. geography, politics, sociology)
- Design
- Computer science and HCI
- Arts and Humanities
I am looking for a partner in these sectors:
- Public Sector
- Industry / SMEs
- Third Sector
I am looking to work in these areas:
- Health (including medical/clinical work)
- Social care
- Older adults
- Charity
- Arts & creative industry
- Web design and digital innovation
Sandpit events
I am going to: Newcastle, February 27th 2020