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Ageing well with assistive technology: co-producing technology solutions with older people: a scoping review of the evidence
- Authors:
- ROLFE Steve, et al
- Publisher:
- University of Stirling
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 20
- Place of publication:
- Stirling
In order to develop guidance around the introduction and use of assistive and everyday technology for older people, this report reviews three areas of the existing research evidence. Firstly, we look at the evidence around co-production, to understand what works in terms of involving older people effectively. Secondly, we provide a broad overview of the types of technology available and explore what the current evidence base tells us about potential impacts on wellbeing and social connectedness. And lastly, we summarise the evidence regarding barriers and facilitators in relation to the use of technology by older people. The evidence base related to involvement and co-production is relatively limited, and many studies go no further than the design stage for new pieces of technology (see section 3). Nevertheless, there are useful points of learning from research which examines how older people engage with and use different forms of technology in their homes. Different devices, apps and online services are now available to support older people with aspects of social connectedness, autonomy and independence, mental health and wellbeing, physical health, and safety. However, the evidence about the real-world impacts of such technology, whilst promising, is still quite limited – many studies focus on prototypes in the lab, rather than the messy complexity of real life. Alongside this, a significant number of studies attest to the difficulties that can arise in the processes of identifying, installing and using technology. Whilst co-production cannot solve every difficulty with technology, engaging older people themselves, as well as family members, housing and care staff, can help to ensure that technology is appropriate, accessible, practically useful and therefore less likely to be abandoned. (Edited publisher abstract)
What does the literature say about using electronic pillboxes for older adults? A systematic literature review
- Authors:
- MIGUEL CRUZ Antonio, BOHORQUEZ Andres Felipe, PARRA Pedro Antonio Aya
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 14(8), 2019, pp.776-787.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to answer two research questions: (1) What is the clinical evidence for the reported outcomes in studies on electronic pillboxes for older adults? and (2) What is the technology readiness level (TRL) of the electronic pillboxes used, or intended to be used, for older adults? Methods: The scholarly literature was systematically searched and analyzed. Articles were included if they reported results about electronic pillboxes that were used or intended to be used for older adults’ medication. Results: Clinical studies used commercially well-established electronic pillboxes with a high TRL. New electronic pillboxes in development had a low TRL. The discovered outcome was mainly adherence to medication. The overall mean adherence to medication regimens for all the studies using an electronic pillbox was higher than the gold standard of a good adherence level cut-off point (mean adherence 88.8%>80%). However, the study found a large variation in this variable (SD = 10.7). With regard to an older adult population’s adherence to medication regimens, for the outcome variable of those who had undergone a kidney transplant, the clinical evidence that electronic pillboxes have a positive impact was strong (1b); for those with a chronic hepatitis C medical condition, the clinical evidence was medium (3), and for those with arterial hypertension and multiple chronic (diabetes and hypertension) medical conditions, the clinical evidence was weak (5). Conclusion: More research is needed in this area using designs that provide greater validity. (Edited publisher abstract)
Report: living with dementia during COVID-19
- Authors:
- DAVIES Karen, ONG Bie Nio, SANDERS Caroline
- Publisher:
- NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 7
- Place of publication:
- Manchester
Findings from this patient and public involvement and engagement work which explored the experiences of people living with dementia in the community during the pandemic. Our conversations with people living with dementia and their carers provided glimpses of the hard reality of self-isolation. The pandemic has been described as an isolating and lonely experience by many of the people we spoke to. However, our conversations also revealed the resourcefulness of many people in finding new ways to support one another and maintain the essential pleasure of social interaction. Family and support workers acted as mediators or facilitators for people living with dementia in accessing activities. They needed others to gently direct them to material they found engaging and motivating. This may have been by using smartphones and tablets to talk to relatives who could not visit, or finding pictures about a person’s 6 specific interest to talk about. As one support worker said ‘we are their link to the outside world, we bring the outside in’. Technology was used for a variety of purposes that, on occasions, became essential for health and wellbeing, such as health consultations, staying in touch with family and friends and saying goodbye to dying loved ones remotely. Video-calling and online resources were described as a valuable lifeline for many people, but generally older people and those living with dementia could not use these resources independently and relied on family and support workers to set up and manage technology. Concerns were raised that any time allocated to overseeing the use of technology could have implications for time available for essential care, particularly when support was purchased for specific aspects of care. (Edited publisher abstract)
‘That's for old so and so's!’: does identity influence older adults’ technology adoption decisions?
- Authors:
- ASTELL Arlene J., McGRATH Colleen E., DOVE Erica
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 40(7), 2020, pp.1550-1576.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
The role of identity in older adults’ decision-making about assistive technology adoption has been suggested but not fully explored. This scoping review was conducted to understand better how older adults’ self-image and their desire to maintain this influence their decision-making processes regarding assistive technology adoption. Using the five-stage scoping review framework by Arksey and O'Malley, a total of 416 search combinations were run across nine databases, resulting in a final yield of 49 articles. From these 49 articles, five themes emerged: (a) resisting the negative reality of an ageing and/or disabled identity; (b) independence and control are key; (c) the aesthetic dimension of usability; (d) assistive technology as a last resort; and (e) privacy versus pragmatics. The findings highlight the importance of older adults’ desire to portray an identity consistent with independence, self-reliance and competence, and how this desire directly impacts their assistive technology decision-making adoption patterns. These findings aim to support the adoption of assistive technologies by older adults to facilitate engagement in meaningful activities, enable social participation within the community, and promote health and wellbeing in later life. (Edited publisher abstract)
Everyday technology use among older deaf adults
- Authors:
- SINGLETON Jenny L., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 14(4), 2019, pp.325-332.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
Purpose: Technology holds great potential to support Deaf individuals as they age into older adulthood. However, it is unclear to what extent Deaf seniors are using technology in everyday life or whether they experience challenges in using technology. The current study explored technology use among older Deaf adults with regard to attitudes, adoption style, and frequency of use for a wide range of technologies, including assistive technologies (ATs) for persons with hearing loss and general, everyday technologies. Materials and methods: a questionnaire that assessed older Deaf adults’ use of and experiences with technology was developed for this study. The questionnaire was made available in online and paper versions. Participants (N = 109) were recruited from national conferences and organisations for the Deaf. Results: Overall, this study found that the older Deaf adults were technology adopters and regularly use and feel comfortable with a variety of devices. However, this study also identified a number of technologies that are not being used by this population, including an AT that appears to have become obsolete and technologies that use sound-based alerts. Conclusions: Insights on how older Deaf adults are embracing technology and which devices they are actually using can help policy makers, technology developers, and a range of aging services professionals, better meet the needs of this understudied population. (Edited publisher abstract)
Health technologies: are older people interested? Discussion paper
- Author:
- MASON Kathy
- Publisher:
- 2020 Health
- Publication year:
- 2016
- Pagination:
- 6
- Place of publication:
- London
Looks at the evidence for interest and adoption of health technologies by older people. As life spans increase, society needs to ensure that those lives are active and fulfilling, supporting and encouraging older people to stay as healthy and independent as possible for as long as possible. Digital technology, already pervasive in people’s everyday lives, is increasingly a central factor in rising to this challenge. The received wisdom is that older people and their baby-boomer children, themselves over 55 years of age, are resistant to embracing technology in this context. This research paper examines whether this is actually true. It reports that in AXA PPP’s 2015 annual Health Tech & You State of the Nation survey over 20 per cent of those in age groups 55–64 and 65–74 believed that using health technology to regularly monitor and manage their health would have a positive impact. Findings form a recent survey indicated that a majority of the British public aged 55–75 would choose a range of technology to help manage their or their parents’ health and wellbeing for any future condition, with the exception of technology to help with dressing. When asked to consider whether robotic or human assistance would maintain dignity more effectively, the same survey found that robotic assistance is seen to provide greater dignity than human assistance for activities such as getting up stairs and going to the toilet, whereas human assistance was favoured for washing, dressing and eating. Overall, reluctance to embrace the digital world is confirmed as a diminishing trend. The paper concludes that the ‘squeezed generation’ has a particular vested interest in having tools to help them support and communicate more effectively with their ageing parents, and these tools should make independent living for the older person without dependents more realistic. (Edited publisher abstract)
The TAPPI inquiry report: Technology for our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation – phase one
- Authors:
- BEECH Lois, PORTEUS Jeremy
- Publisher:
- Housing Learning and Improvement Network
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 58
- Place of publication:
- London
This report details phase one of the Technology for our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation (TAPPI) project. The TAPPI inquiry, and by extension this report, is intended to scope out the need for a transformational TAPPI framework that addresses the opportunity that technology has to enhance the lives of our ageing population and the barriers that prevent its adoption. The report has been divided into the four key themes: the perspectives on the ageing population; building quality and scalable construction/development; improving design, quality and standards; and delivering better housing, health and social care outcomes. The report synthesises the oral and written evidence presented to the Panel and includes examples of practice that either exemplify how older and disabled adults have used technology at home to support their independence or enabled the facilitation or design of housing and related, health or social care services, data or systems to deliver a range of better outcomes. The Panel has distilled the evidence into a number of overarching insights and principles as follows: supporting wellness – recognising that technology is omnipresent in society will enable us to accept its value and help us to shape how it can be better utilised to enable people to live fulfilled and healthy lives; promoting independence – good quality should mean that across the housing, health and social care sectors digital infrastructures are in place to support independent living; facilitating prevention – we need to move to a system whereby technology is recognised as a key part of a preventative model across housing, health, and social care; reducing inequalities – the creation of a Minimum Digital Living Standard will embed digital inclusion and improved digital skills across all sectors and at all levels. This will reduce the inequalities in how people access, use and value technology and ensure we all understand the benefit of digitalisation. (Edited publisher abstract)
Implementing an intelligent video monitoring system to detect falls of older adults at home: a multiple case study
- Authors:
- LAPIERRE Nolwenn, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Enabling Technologies, 14(4), 2020, pp.253-271.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: Older adults are at a high risk of falling. The consequences of falls are worse when the person is unable to get up afterward. Thus, an intelligent video monitoring system (IVS) was developed to detect falls and send alerts to a respondent. This study aims to explore the implementation of the IVS at home. Design/methodology/approach: A multiple case study was conducted with four dyads: older adults and informal caregivers. The IVS was implemented for two months at home. Perceptions of the IVS and technical variables were documented. Interviews were thematically analyzed, and technical data were descriptively analyzed. Findings: The rate of false alarms was 0.35 per day. Participants had positive opinions of the IVS and mentioned its ease of use. They also made suggestions for improvement. Originality/value: This study showed the feasibility of a two-month implementation of this IVS. Its development should be continued and tested with a larger experimental group. (Edited publisher abstract)
COVID-19 and AgeTech
- Author:
- SIXSMITH Andrew
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 21(4), 2020, pp.247-252.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: This paper aims to provide an overview of the emerging AgeTech sector and highlight key areas for research and development that have emerged under COVID-19, as well as some of the challenges to real-world implementation. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is a commentary on emerging issues in the AgeTech sector, with particular reference to COVID-19. Information used in this paper is drawn from the Canadian AGE-WELL network. Findings: The COVID-19 pandemic has particularly impacted older adults. Technology has increasingly been seen as a solution to support older adults during this time. AgeTech refers to the use of existing and emerging advanced technologies, such as digital media, information and communication technologies (ICTs), mobile technologies, wearables and smart home systems, to help keep older adults connected and to deliver health and community services. Research limitations/implications: Despite the potential of AgeTech, key challenges remain such as structural barriers to larger-scale implementation, the need to focus on quality of service rather than crisis management and addressing the digital divide. Practical implications: AgeTech helps older adults to stay healthy and active, increases their safety and security, supports independent living and reduces isolation. In particular, technology can support older adults and caregivers in their own homes and communities and meet the desire of most older adults to age in place. Social implications: AgeTech is helpful in assisting older adults to stay connected. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of the informal social connections and supports within families, communities and voluntary organizations. Originality/value: The last months have seen a huge upsurge in COVID-19-related research and development, as funding organizations, research institutions and companies pivot to meet the challenges thrown up by the pandemic. This paper looks at the potential role of technology to support older adults and caregivers. (Edited publisher abstract)
How smart homes are used to support older people: an integrative review
- Authors:
- TURJAMAA Riitta, PEHKONEN Aki, KANGASNIEMI Mari
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Older People Nursing, 14(4), 2019, p.e12260.
- Publisher:
- John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
- Place of publication:
- West Sussex
Background: The number of healthy older people is increasing, and most of them want to live in their own homes for as long as possible. Smart home technology can support living at home, but synthetised knowledge of previous studies about their suitability for the everyday lives of older people is rare. Methods: Data for this integrated review were obtained by searching the PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus databases from 2012 to 2019, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and then carrying out quality appraisals of the papers that were selected. Results: This study identified 944 papers, and 16 were included in the review. According to our analysis, smart home solutions for older people focused on devices for daily and healthy living and older people's safety. The smart home solutions they discussed were used to help older people carry out everyday activities and lead healthier and more fulfilled lives, by improving their physical safety and social communication. Older people reported that smart homes improved their sense of security, quality of daily life and activities and provided them with information about the care they could receive. However, research on older people playing an active role in developing smart home technology was lacking. Conclusion: The existing literature focused on evaluating daily activities with routine measurements. There has been a lack of research that has focused on older people's experiences as the end users of this technology. However, the papers lacked data on how older people could maintain their social relationships and become more proactive in daily living. Implications for practice: With further development, smart homes can be used to support older people to perform daily activities and help them maintain their social relationships. These steps will ensure that they can continue to live independently in their own homes for longer. (Edited publisher abstract)