Development and Evaluation of WELSH: An Institution-Linked Mobile Application for Older Adults in Senior Welfare Centers During COVID-19

BACKGROUND In South Korea, social distancing measures were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and senior welfare centers were forced to close. Consequently, senior center members experienced difficulties from a loss of social interaction and the social services on which they relied. To compensate for this, senior welfare centers offered virtual programs; however, many older adults experienced hardship accessing information online. We developed a user-friendly mobile application “Welsh”, that connects senior welfare centers and older adults to provide information and services and foster social interaction. OBJECTIVE The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the app in three areas (information acquisition, convenience, and social interaction) and to examine the effects of using Welsh on increasing digital literacy and social support among users. METHODS Study participants were recruited from May to September 2020 from five senior welfare centers located in Seoul, Korea. Survey questionnaires were collected from 376 older adults at 4-week intervals before and after using Welsh. Paired sample t-statistics were calculated with the pre- and post-test scores of digital literacy and social support. RESULTS Participants rated the app positively in the order of information acquisition, convenience, and social interaction. Also, they reported increased digital literacy after using Welsh, but there was no significant change in social support. CONCLUSIONS Implications for developing a user-friendly mobile app for older adults and ways of increasing digital literacy among senior center members are discussed.