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In this paper, our proposition is that longitudinal research, such as diary studies, can be used to uncover the core needs of those users who are over 65 and experience difficulty with digital interfaces. Through a two year research project, we have explored the barriers to adopting technology, patterns in monitoring health and finally, how people living with Dementia and their carers might use technology to improve the quality of their life. Through understanding what these core issues are, we propose that any virtual reality technology can be sufficiently aligned to the mental models of over 65s, so as to be completely inclusive of their needs. By using HCI and UX research approaches, both public and commercial digital agencies, at the forefront of digital innovation, can produce digital artefacts to alleviate barriers to digital adoption in an aging population. We submit this summary of our research in contribution to Human Centred Design (HCD) for Intelligent Environments workshop at the British HCI Conference, as we are keen to receive feedback and participate in discussions around this area, particularly because some of our research has suggested VR is the next logical step in supporting an aging population.

It is widely acknowledged that Information Technology (IT) Governance is extremely complex and at the same time equally critical when organisations endeavour to maximize their IT investments. IT Governance provides the means for decision making required to ensure that IT enables the organization to excel in its mission. IT systems are often viewed as monetary drains rather than seen as fundamental bases underpinning the strategic direction of organizations. IT implementations often do not meet requirements, fail, are over budget and the media is littered with headlines that corroborate these perceptions. IT projects are now so big, and they touch so many aspects of an organization, that they pose a singular new risk as according to Harvard Business Review Magazine that a $5 million project leads to an almost $200 million loss (Flyvbjerg and Budzier, 2011). Every organisation will have experienced complications of an IT implementation and this is why IT Governance is becoming a crucial factor to business survival no matter how large or small an organisation is. This interpretive study of IT Governance provides an opportunity to from both theoretical and practice-based perspectives using multiple case studies from public sector organisations based in the Kingdom of Bahrain.