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Increased life expectancy has led to a 15% growth in the population of seniors (aged 65 and above) in Canada, in the last 5 years and this trend is expected to grow. However, the provision of personalized care is bottlenecked, due a severe shortage of formal caregivers in the healthcare industry. Technological solutions are proposed to supplement or replace human care, but have not been widely accepted due to their inability of dynamically adapting to user needs and context of respective situations. Affective data (i.e., emotions and moods of individuals), can be utilized to induce context-awareness and artificial emotional intelligence in such technological solutions, and thereby provide personalized support. Moreover, the capacity of brain to process affective phenomenon can serve as an indicator of onsetting neuro-degenerative diseases. This research thoroughly investigated what affect is, and how it can be used in computing in real-life scenarios. Particularly, evidence was obtained on which biological signals collected using a wearable sensor device were capable of capturing the arousal dimension of affective states (emotions and moods) of individuals. Furthermore, a qualitative study was conducted with older adults using semi-structured interviews, to determine the feasibility and acceptability of different self-report measures of mood, which are crucial to capture the valence dimension of affect. As the hypothesis that older adults would prefer a pictorial measure to self-report their mood failed, we proposed an adjective-based mood reporting instrument prototype, and laid down implications for future research.

Virtual Reality (VR) is increasingly being applied in dementia care across a range of applications and domains including health and wellbeing. Despite the commercial availability of VR, informants of design are not always aware of its functionality and capabilities, to meaningfully contribute to VR design. In designing VR applications for people living with dementia, it is recommended that older adults living with dementia and their support persons be involved in the design process using participatory approaches, thereby giving them a voice on the design of technology from the outset. A VR technology probe is a useful means of familiarising older adults living with dementia and their informal caregivers with the knowledge and understanding of interactive VR to employ technology that supports them to maintain their social health. This paper charts the implementation and evaluation of a VR technology probe, VR FOUNDations. To explore their experiences, nine older adults living with dementia and their nine informal caregivers trialled VR FOUNDations and completed semi-structured interviews after its use. Overall, older adults living with dementia and their informal caregivers perceived VR FOUNDations to achieve its aim of increasing understanding and inspiring future design decisions. The findings also identified promising positive experiences using a VR technology probe which may be indicative of its applicability to social health and wellbeing domains. This paper advocates for the structured design and implementation of VR technology probes as a pre-requisite to the participatory design of VR applications for the health and wellbeing of people living with dementia. The use of such technology probes may afford older adults living with dementia and their informal caregivers the best opportunity to contribute to design decisions and participate in technology design to support their health and wellbeing.

The increasingly more visible trend of population ageing necessitates creating technologies supporting the functioning of older adults. Consequently, more gerontechnologies emerge designed to help the older adults in their daily functioning, from devices monitoring the health to special trolleys improving the mobility or Virtual Reality devices for active learning. This article aimed to determine the most desired group of gerontechnologies among current and future users. It focused on individual assessments of the most desirable group of gerontechnologies based on various criteria. The investigation aimed to find the criterion rated the highest in the selected group of gerontechnologies. The gerontechnology group was assessed against seven groups of criteria distinguished by the authors, i.e., Technology Innovation, Technology Demand, Social and Ethical Criteria, Technology Usability, Technology Functionality, Technology Ease of Use and Technology Use Risk. The survey was conducted in the form of a questionnaire, using CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) and CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview) methods, with the research sample comprised of 1 152 residents of Poland. Thus far, no studies have been conducted to evaluate this group of technologies based on the above-mentioned criteria.

Als Folge des demographischen Wandels unserer Gesellschaft steigt die Zahl der älteren Menschen und damit auch derer, die in verschiedenen Bereichen des alltäglichen Lebens auf Unterstützung und Pflege angewiesen sind. Defizite im Pflegesektor und steigende Kosten erschweren die Versorgung dieser Personen, sodass große Hoffnungen auf der Entwicklung technologischer Unterstützungsmöglichkeiten liegen, die unter dem Begriff „Gerontotechnologie“ zusammengefasst werden. Darunter fallen intelligente Umgebungssysteme (ambient assisted living (AAL) bzw. health smart homes) und verschiedene Assistenzsysteme, zu denen unter anderem Roboter gehören, die zur sozialen Interaktion fähig sind (socially assisted robots), wobei zwischen Assistenz- und Companionrobotern unterschieden wird. Assistenzroboter sollen hauptsächlich instrumentelle Unterstützung bieten, während Companionroboter und auch virtuelle Companions vor allem das psychische Wohlbefinden der Nutzer verbessen sollen. Bei der Verwendung solcher Technologien spielen die Akzeptanz und das Vertrauen der Nutzer eine entscheidende Rolle. In dieser Dissertation wurde in zwei Studien das Vertrauen in verschiedene Assistenz- und Companiontechnologien untersucht. Dabei wurde speziell auf Einflüsse von Alter, digitaler Herkunft, Geschlecht, Freiwilligkeit in der Nutzung und Persönlichkeit eingegangen. Außerdem wurde eine Kurzskala zur Erfassung von Vertrauen, subjektiver Kompetenz und Emotionen im Umgang mit digitalen Technologien entwickelt. Für die erste Studie wurden acht fiktive Techniktypen entworfen, deren Funktionsweise und potentielle Einsatzgebiete jeweils mithilfe eines Videos simuliert und in einer Beschreibung erklärt wurden. Das höchste Vertrauen fand sich für die Techniktypen, deren Aufgabe die Gewährleistung von Sicherheit beziehungsweise die praktische Unterstützung im Alltag waren. Das geringste Vertrauen hatten die Probanden in die Techniktypen, die mit einer Companionkomponente beschrieben worden waren. Das allgemeine Vertrauen in digitale Technologien lag dazwischen. Es wurde kein Effekt des Alters, der digitalen Herkunft, des Geschlechts, der Freiwilligkeit oder bestimmter Persönlichkeitsmerkmale gefunden, was vermutlich auf die geringe Stichprobengröße zurückzuführen ist. In der ersten Studie wurde aus dem Fragebogen Emotions, Competence and Trust in Digital Technologies die Kurzskala Emotions, Competence and Trust in Digital Technologies (short) mit 16 Items und den Skalen Vertrauen in digitale Technologien, subjektive Kompetenz im Umgang mit digitalen Technologien und Emotionen im Umgang mit digitalen Technologien generiert. Anhand der Daten der Studie 2 und mit dem zusammengefügten Datensatz aus beiden Studien wurde die Kurzskala validiert. Sie bietet eine gute Möglichkeit zur schnellen und effizienten Erfassung von Vertrauen in Technologien. In der zweiten Studie wurde das Vertrauen in ein Schmerz- und Affekterkennungssystem (Schmerzmonitor) und ein daran gekoppeltes Companionsystem (Schmerzbegleiter) untersucht, wie es im Rahmen des Projekts SenseEmotion entwickelt werden sollte. Das Vertrauen in die beiden Systeme entsprach in etwa dem in die Assistenztechnologien der Studie 1. Das Vertrauen in den Schmerzmonitor war signifikant höher als das Vertrauen in den Schmerzbegleiter und das Grundvertrauen in digitale Technologien. Zwischen den beiden letzteren war kein Unterschied zu finden. Es konnte ein Effekt des Alters, des Geschlechts und der Persönlichkeit nachgewiesen werden, während die Freiwilligkeit in der Nutzung keinen Einfluss auf das Vertrauen hatte. Es fanden sich ein niedrigeres Vertrauen, negativere Emotionen und eine geringere subjektive Kompetenz im Umgang mit digitalen Technologien für Teilnehmer höheren Alters, für digital immigrants im Vergleich zu digital natives und für Frauen im Vergleich zu Männern. Die Emotionen wurden durch das Persönlichkeitsmerkmal Verträglichkeit negativ und durch emotionale Stabilität positiv beeinflusst. Die subjektive Kompetenz war höher bei Personen mit höheren Werten für emotionale Stabilität und Offenheit für Neues. Das Vertrauen in den Schmerzmonitor und den Schmerzbegleiter wurde durch diese Faktoren nicht beeinflusst. Für AAL-Umgebungen werden Technologien verwendet, die neben der Erfüllung rein funktionaler Aufgaben auch psychosoziale Unterstützung bieten sollen. Dass für diese Technologien ein signifikant geringeres Vertrauen gefunden wurde als für reine Assistenztechnologien, ist für den Einsatz solcher Technologien relevant und sollte in deren Entwicklung berücksichtigt werden. Das Vertrauen in das Companion-gekoppelte Schmerz- und Affekterkennungssystem, das hier nur theoretisch untersucht werden konnte, sollte im weiteren Verlauf der Entwicklung neu evaluiert werden.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Blood pressure (BP) dysregulation is a known risk factor, and home-based BP monitoring is increasingly used, but the usability of digital health devices to measure BP among glaucoma patients is not well studied. There may be particular usability challenges among this group, given that glaucoma disproportionately affects the elderly and can cause visual impairment. Therefore, the goal of this mixed-methods study was to assess the usability of a smart watch digital health device for home BP monitoring among glaucoma patients. Adult participants were recruited and given a smartwatch blood pressure monitor for at-home use. The eHEALS questionnaire was used to determine baseline digital health literacy. After a week of use, participants assessed the usability of the BP monitor and related mobile app using the Post-study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) and the System Usability Scale (SUS), standardized instruments to measure usability in health information technology interventions. Variations in scores were evaluated using ANOVA and open-ended responses about participants’ experience were analyzed thematically. Overall, usability scores corresponded to the 80th–84th percentile, although older patients endorsed significantly worse usability based on quantitative scores and additionally provided qualitative feedback describing some difficulty using the device. Usability for older patients should be considered in the design of digital health devices for glaucoma given their disproportionate burden of disease and challenges in navigating digital health technologies, although the overall high usability scores for the device demonstrates promise for future clinical applications in glaucoma risk stratification.

Cognitive stimulation games delivered on robots may be able to improve cognitive functioning and delay decline in older adults. However, little is known about older adults’ in-depth opinions of robot-delivered games, as current research primarily focuses on technical development and one-off use. This article explores the usability, acceptability, and perceptions of community-dwelling older adults towards cognitive games delivered on a robot that incorporated movable interactive blocks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants at the end of a 12-week cognitive stimulation games intervention delivered entirely on robots. Participants were 10 older adults purposively sampled from two retirement villages. A framework analysis approach was used to code data to predefined themes related to technology acceptance (perceived benefits, satisfaction, and preference), and usability (effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction). Results indicated that cognitive games delivered on a robot may be a valuable addition to existing cognitive stimulation activities. The robot was considered easy to use and useful in improving cognitive functioning. Future developments should incorporate interactive gaming tools, the use of social anthropomorphic robots, contrasting colour schemes to accommodate macular degeneration, and cultural-specific imagery and language. This will help cater to the preferences and age-related health needs of older adults, to ultimately enhance usability and acceptability.

We aimed to identify and explore the priority psychosocial considerations for the gerontechnology design for Kenyan geriatrics. Our informants were a convenience sample of eight older adults (femal...

The objective of this scoping review is to synthesise and report evidence on interventions using social robots and computer agents to reduce loneliness in older adults. It will focus particularly on intervention techniques and how effective they are. It will also aim to identify areas for future research.

This workshop report presents the results of a scenario creation process centered on the future of ageing in smart environments (FASE) in 2050, in a U.S. context. Hosted by the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and The Global KAITEKI Center of Arizona State University, with funding from The KAITEKI Institute of the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC), the first FASE workshop convened 36 diverse experts to integrate and focus their perspectives on how ageing people and smart environments might interact and exist in 2050. Our exploration of ageing in smart environments in 2050 is a provocation and invitation. The scenarios are meant to challenge conventional wisdom about how the future may turn out and, in so doing, make space for readers to challenge their assumptions of and preparedness for futures that may look different from the present. If you have thoughts on ageing in smart environments, please reach out to us.

Dissertação para obtenção de grau de Mestre em Gerontologia Social O predomínio do número de mulheres entre as faixas etárias mais velhas oferece a oportunidade de essas mulheres que são avós participarem por mais tempo da vida adulta de seus netos e exercerem o desenvolvimento de relações mais duradouras e íntimas ao lado deles. As avós possuem um papel fundamental dentro do contexto familiar por assumirem funções mais ligadas ao bem-estar emocional e de saúde de seus netos, além de ajudar a promover as relações interpessoais no meio familiar. No âmbito da Gerontologia Social, o processo das relações intergeracionais familiares com foco na perspetiva da interação comunicacional realizada pelas avós acaba sendo relevante justamente por elas representarem um dos pilares de integração da família e se destacarem no envolvimento comunicacional entre os diferentes graus de descendência familiar. O tema central deste trabalho tem como objetivo geral analisar a perspetiva das avós sobre o uso do Facebook como ferramenta facilitadora de comunicação com a família, especialmente com os seus netos. Para isso, adotou-se uma metodologia de caráter qualitativo, através da aplicação de inquéritos por entrevistas semi-diretiva, com uma amostra formada por 12 avós residentes do Brasil e Portugal. Os resultados obtidos apontam que as avós entrevistadas reconhecem o uso do Facebook como ferramenta facilitadora para comunicação da família em geral e dos netos, mas a comunicação direta, por meio de uso dessa rede, dá-se muito mais com os familiares, especialmente os que residem distantes delas, do que essencialmente com os netos das entrevistadas. The predominance of the number of women in older age groups offers the opportunity for these women who are grandmothers to participate more in the adult life of their grandchildren and develop more lasting and intimate relationships with them. Grandmothers play a fundamental role within the family context in roles more related to the emotional well-being and health of their grandchildren in addition to helping to promote interpersonal relationships within the family. In the scope of Social Gerontology, the process of intergenerational family relationships with focus on the perspective of communicational interaction performed by grandmothers ends up being relevant precisely because they represent one of the pillars of family integration and stand out in the communicational involvement among the different degrees of family descent. The main theme of this work aims to analyze the perspective of grandmothers on the usage of Facebook as a tool to facilitate communication with the family, especially with their grandchildren. For this, a qualitative methodology was adopted by the application of surveys through semi-structured interviews, with a sample formed by 12 grandmothers residing in Brazil and Portugal. The results obtained show that the interviewed grandmothers recognize the use of Facebook as a facilitating tool for family and grandchildren communication, but one-to-one communication, through the use of this network, happens much more with family members, especially those who live far away from them, than essentially with their grandchildren. N/A

PurposeWearable health technologies (WHTs) show promise in improving the health and well-being of the aging population because they promote healthy lifestyles. They can be used to collect health information from users and encourage them to be physically active. Despite potential benefits of WHTs, recent studies have shown that older people have low continued use intention toward WHTs. Previous work on this topic is disjointed, and new theoretical viewpoints are required.Design/methodology/approachThe authors propose an enablers and inhibitors perspective to model factors influencing continued use intention of WHTs among the elderly. To test the model, we collected data from Chinese elderly (N = 295) who had prior experience using WHTs.FindingsThe study results show that social value is the strongest enabler of continued WHT use, and emotional and epistemic values and device quality also increase use continuance. Inertia and technology anxiety were identified as significant inhibitors. A post hoc importance performance map analysis revealed that while emotional value is a highly significant predictor of continued WHT use, existing WHTs do not stimulate such value in our sample.Research limitations/implicationsThe research findings illustrate the importance of incorporating user resistance in technology acceptance studies in general and WHT usage studies in particular. This study contributes by providing an integrative model of technology continued use intention for the elderly along with practical implications for policymakers.Originality/valueA limited number of prior studies have taken both enablers and inhibitors into account when explaining continued WHT use intention among the elderly. This paper fills this research gap and contributes to the WHT literature by considering both enablers and inhibitors in the same model. Moreover, this study contributes to the ongoing research on WHT, and more broadly, gerontechnology use among the elderly.

While numerous studies have examined the importance of technology innovation in supporting the aging society, few have been specifically conducted on the emerging technologies that forecast for the...

Globally, there is an urgent need for solutions that can support our aging populations to live well and reduce the associated economic, social and health burdens. Implementing smart technologies within homes and communities may assist people to live well and ‘age in place’. To date, there has been little consultation with older Australians addressing either the perceived benefits, or the potential social and ethical challenges associated with smart technology use. To address this, we conducted five World Cafés in two Australian states, aiming to capture citizen knowledge about the possibilities and challenges of smart technologies. The participants (n = 84) were aged 55 years and over, English-speaking, and living independently. Grounding our analysis in values-based social science and biomedical ethical principles, we identified the themes reflecting the participants’ understanding, resistance, and acceptance of smart technologies, and the ethical principles, including beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, privacy, confidentiality, and justice. Similar to other studies, many of the participants demonstrated cautious and conditional acceptance of smart technologies, while identifying concerns about social isolation, breaches of privacy and confidentiality, surveillance, and stigmatization. Attention to understanding and incorporating the values of older citizens will be important for the acceptance and effectiveness of smart technologies for supporting independent and full lives for older citizens.

COVID-19 has affected the psychological health of older adults directly and indirectly through recommendations of social distancing and isolation. Using the internet or digital tools to participate in society, one might mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on psychological health. This study explores the social participation of older adults through internet use as a social platform during COVID-19 and its relationship with various psychological health aspects. In this study, we used the survey as a research method, and we collected data through telephonic interviews; and online and paper-based questionnaires. The results showed an association of digital social participation with age and feeling lack of company. Furthermore, in addition, to the increase in internet use in older adults in Sweden during COVID-19, we conclude that digital social participation is essential to maintain psychological health in older adults.

Jiyeon Ha,1 Hyeyoung K Park2 1College of Nursing, Konyang University, Daejeon, South Korea; 2College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USACorrespondence: Hyeyoung K ParkCollege of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 126 Skinner Hall, 651 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USATel +1 413 545 1343Fax +1 413 545 0086Email hyeyoungpark@umass.eduPurpose: Older adults experience challenges employing technology in their health-care management due to changes in cognitive and physical functions. This study aimed to investigate the acceptance of technology among older Korean adults with multiple chronic health conditions and examine factors associated with technology acceptance, adopting the senior technology acceptance model (STAM).Patients and Methods: In total, 226 community-dwelling older adults with more than two chronic conditions participated in this study. We conducted a survey that covered demographics, gerontechnology self-efficacy, gerontechnology anxiety, facilitating conditions, self-reported health conditions, cognitive ability, social relationships, attitude toward life and satisfaction, physical functioning, and technology acceptance.Results: Older Korean adults with multiple chronic health conditions scored moderately high for technology acceptance (25.36± 5.28). There were significant differences in technology acceptance according to age (r=− 0.241), cognitive ability (r=0.225), gerontechnology self-efficacy (r=0.323), and facilitating conditions (r=0.288). Only age and education were significant factors predicting technology acceptance (Adjusted R2=0.151, p< 0.001).Conclusion: Although older Korean adults with multiple chronic conditions displayed good technology acceptance, their age and education level predicted the level of acceptance. Given that some components of the STAM model have social and cultural relevance, it is necessary to conduct research across various cultures to better understand technology acceptance by older adults.Keywords: gerontechnology, multiple chronic conditions, technology, acceptance, aged

In this era of technological advances designed to assist older adults to age in place and monitor health challenges, the emphasis has been on the surveillance of older adults for their safety and the peace of mind of caregivers. This article focuses on two emerging gerontechnologies: wearables and smart home or ambient assistive living (AAL) devices. In order to explore the intersections of the ageing enterprise and surveillance capitalism, this scoping review addresses the following questions: (1) what are the existing technologies; (2) what are the privacy concerns raised by participants, researchers, and caregivers due to intended and unintended uses of these technologies? Specifically, this article synthesizes twenty relevant sources concerning the surveillance potentials of these gerontechnologies and the privacy implications for adults aged sixty-five and over. While these technologies may offer older adults greater autonomy/safety and caregivers peace of mind, their surveillance and privacy infringement potentials cannot be overlooked or cast as a trade-off. Amidst the automation of the care, collection, combination, and commodification of various forms of personal, health, and wellness metadata, the right to privacy, dignity, and ageing in place must remain central to the adoption and use of these technologies.

Digitalization in healthcare is posed to change the way the older population is treated, the way health workers relate to them, and the participation of computing professionals in the mix.

Purpose: According to the UN population forecast by the year 2030 people aged 65 years and over will have made up 11.67% of the world's total population and 22.97% of the European population. So, in less than 10 years, almost every fourth Pole will be over 65 years old. It, therefore, seems necessary to examine how health, life and consumption needs of older people can be met and which technologies can improve the quality of life of older people. The main aim of the article is to identify, evaluate and build a ranking of gerontechnologies – technologies improving the quality of life of older people. The article also examines the influence of gender, age, education, and place of residence on the evaluation of gerontechnology groups. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research was carried out with critical literature analysis, logical construct method as well as statistical research. A survey was conducted with the use of CATI and CAWI in the period December 2019 to January 2020 on a representative group of poles aged over 40 years old. Findings: The research assessed and ranked nine main groups of technologies improving the quality of life of older people. The impact of gender, age, education, and place of residence on the assessment of these technologies was also examined. Practical Implications: Identification of the highest-rated technology improving the quality of life of older people. Originality/Value: To gain new knowledge in identifying the needs and expectations of future and current users of technologies that improve the quality of life of older people., peer-reviewed

Backgroundnon-pharmacological interventions to prevent delirium are useful in hospitalised older adults. However, they are poorly implemented in clinical practice. We aimed to develop a software for bedside use by hospitalised older adults and to improve their access to these interventions.Methodsa transdisciplinary team composed of healthcare professionals, designers, engineers and older adults participated in the development of the software. Scrum methodology was used to coordinate the work of the team, and the software was evaluated in a feasibility study.Resultsa software for touchscreen mobile devices that supports Android 5.0 or later was produced, including modules for time-spatial re-orientation, cognitive stimulation, early mobilisation, sensorial support use promotion, sleep hygiene and pain management optimisation. Horizontal disposition, use of colour contrast and large interaction areas were used to improve accessibility. The software’s usability and accessibility were evaluated in 34 older adults (average age 73.2 ± 9.1 years) showing that 91.1% of them got access to all the software functions without previous instructions. The clinical feasibility assessment showed that 83.3% of the 30 enrolled hospitalised patients (76 ± 8 years) completed the 5-day protocol of software usage during hospitalisation. Software use was associated with a decreased trend in delirium incidence of 5 of 32 (15.6%) at baseline to 2 of 30 (6.6%) after its implementation.Conclusiona highly accessible and implementable software, designed to improve access to non-pharmacological interventions to prevent delirium in hospitalised older adults, was developed. The effectiveness of the software will be evaluated in a randomised clinical trial.

Objetivo: Identificar os serviços de suporte oferecidos pelas Técnicas Assistivas à avaliação do risco de quedas de idosos e o monitoramento de suas residências, bem como, apresentar uma visão geral sobre os principais dispositivos utilizados, descrevendo suas particularidades.Materiais e Métodos: Revisão da Literatura nas bases Lilacs, Medline e SciELO. Foram incluídos artigos no idioma inglês, publicados entre os anos 2010-2019, com foco na população ≥60 anos. Os descritores utilizados foram: gerontecnologia, tecnologia assistiva, envelhecimento, quedas, detecção de quedas, avaliação, risco de quedas, sensores vestíveis, sensores ambientais.Resultados: 20 artigos de 448 atenderam os critérios de inclusão. Verificou-se que dois dispositivos foram principalmente discutidos na literatura: sensores vestíveis e sensores domiciliares. Constatou-se que os dispositivos são compostos por algoritmos aptos a detectar e analisar a queda em diferentes estágios.Conclusão: Técnicas Assistivas podem contribuir à prevenção de quedas de idosos, exame da marcha e do equilíbrio, detecção de movimentos por meio de câmeras em residências, identificando a inatividade ou o contorno do corpo. Em razão da redução do preço dos Smartphones, estima-se relativo aumento do uso desses dispositivos, que apresentam bússolas digitais, GPS, microfone, câmera, acelerômetros e giroscópios. Objective: To identify the support services offered by Assistive Techniques to assess the risk of falls in the elderly and to monitor their homes, as well as to present an overview of the main devices used, describing their particularities.Material and Methods: Literature review based on Lilacs, Medline and SciELO. English-language articles, published between the years 2010-2019, with a focus on the population ≥60 years were included. The descriptors used were: gerontechnology, assistive technology, aging, falls, fall detection, assessment, risk of falls, wearable sensors, environmental sensors.Results: 20 articles out of 448 met the inclusion criteria. It was found that two devices were mainly discussed in the literature: wearable sensors and home sensors. It was found that the devices are composed of algorithms capable of detecting and analyzing the fall at different stages.Conclusion: Assistive Techniques can contribute to the prevention of falls in the elderly, examination of gait and balance, detection of movements by means of cameras in homes, identifying inactivity or body contour. Due to the reduction in the price of Smartphones, it is estimated that there will be a relative increase in the use of these devices, which feature digital compasses, GPS, microphone, camera, accelerometers and gyroscopes.

Uvod: V Evropi delež starejšega prebivalstva iz dneva v dan eksponentno narašča in predstavlja enega izmed resnih izzivov, pred katerim se je znašlo človeštvo. O staranju prebivalstva govorimo takrat, ko se delež starostnikov v populaciji povečuje. Po definiciji so starostniki osebe, ki so stare več kot 65 let. Njihov delež v Sloveniji znaša 20,9?%. Poškodbe in padci se pogosteje pojavljajo pri starostnikih. Za preprečevanje le-teh je potrebna preventiva, ki jo lahko izvajamo tudi z uporabo sodobnih digitalnih tehnologij. Namen: Namen diplomskega dela je proučiti uporabo digitalnih tehnologij na področju preventive padcev starostnikov v domačem okolju, saj so padci velik gospodarski in javnozdravstveni problem, ter ugotoviti vlogo medicinske sestre pri uporabi digitalnih tehnologij za preprečevanje padcev starostnikov v domačem okolju. Metode dela: Uporabili smo deskriptivno metodo dela. Pregledali smo domačo in tujo literaturo, dostopno v podatkovnih bazah: CINAHL with full text in MEDLINE. Iskalni nizi v angleškem jeziku s ključnimi besedami so bili: digital technology, ict, wearable, eldery, geriatric, older adult, aged, falls prevention, preventing falls, prevent falls, reduce falls. Literaturo smo zbirali v obdobju od decembra 2020 do oktobra 2021. V omenjenih podatkovnih bazah je bilo najdenih 384 člankov. V končno analizo smo vključili 18 člankov. Rezultati: Rezultate smo razdelili na štiri področja. Prvo področje se nanaša na ugotovitve raziskav, ki so povezane s tehnologijami za spremljanje telesne aktivnosti, med njimi sta pametna ogrlica in vadba v navidezni resničnosti. Drugo področje se nanaša na pametna oblačila, kot sta pametni pas in pametni čevelj, tretje področje na prilagoditev bivalnega okolja, kamor sodita koncept pametnega doma in pametna tla, ter zadnje področje, ki se nanaša na samostojne senzorje, kjer predstavljamo nosljive senzorje, radarsko tehnologijo, sistem za odkrivanje padcev in mobilne aplikacije. Razprava in zaključek: Na voljo je ogromno digitalne tehnologije, ki lahko olajša življenje starostnikom in preprečuje padce v domačem okolju. V pregledu literature smo zaznali uporabo digitalne tehnologije tudi v slovenskem prostoru. Spoznali smo slovenski projekt, imenovan Dom IRIS in napredni sestrski klicni sistem NurseCare, ki uporabnikom ponuja več programskih rešitev. Introduction: Europe’s population is ageing rapidly and steadily on a daily basis, which poses a significant challenge for the humankind. Population ageing occurs when there is an increase in the proportion of elderly people in the population. By definition, the elderly are people over the age of 65 and their proportion in Slovenia is 20.9%. Injuries and falls occur more often among the elderly. They can be avoided by taking preventive measures, for instance, with the help of modern digital technologies. Purpose: The purpose of this diploma thesis is to examine the use of digital technology for preventing falls among the elderly in the home environment, since falls represent a major economic and public health problem, as well as to determine the role of nurses in using digital technologies for preventing falls among the elderly. Methods: A descriptive working method was used. We reviewed domestic and foreign literature, available in databases CINAHL with full text and MEDLINE. The following search strings with keywords in English were used: digital technology, ict, wearable, elderly, geriatric, older adult, aged, falls prevention, preventing falls, prevent falls, reduce falls. The literature was being collected from December 2020 until October 2021. Overall, 384 articles were reviewed in the above-mentioned databases, and 18 articles were included in the final analysis. Results: The results were divided into four areas: the first area consists of research findings related to technologies for physical activity monitoring, i.e., a smart necklace and virtual reality exercises the second area covers smart clothing, such as a smart belt and smart shoes the third area is the adaptation of the living environment, which includes the concept of a smart home and smart floors the last area focuses on stand-alone sensors, where wearable sensors, radar technology, fall detection systems and mobile applications are presented in more detail. Discussion and conclusion: A wide range of digital technologies is available to make life easier for the elderly, which prevents falls in the home environment. While reviewing the literature, we detected the use of digital technology for this purpose in Slovenia. We discovered a Slovenian project Dom IRIS and an advanced nursing call system NurseCare, which offers several software solutions for its users.

COVID-19 has affected the psychological health of older adults directly and indirectly through recommendations of social distancing and isolation. Using the internet or digital tools to participate in society, one might mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on psychological health. This study explores the social participation of older adults through internet use as a social platform during COVID-19 and its relationship with various psychological health aspects. In this study, we used the survey as a research method, and we collected data through telephonic interviews; and online and paper-based questionnaires. The results showed an association of digital social participation with age and feeling lack of company. Furthermore, in addition, to the increase in internet use in older adults in Sweden during COVID-19, we conclude that digital social participation is essential to maintain psychological health in older adults. open accessSNAC is financially supported by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Sweden, and the participating county councils, municipalities, and university departments. The authors are especially grateful to the participants of SNAC-Blekinge for their help and interest in this study. SNAC

There is a growing need for at-home healthcare and real-time monitoring in elderly care. The increase in elderly and chronically ill patients causes the need forhigh-demand services in healthcare. There is a lack of research regarding the elderly and technology in general. The Internet of Things provides several advantages and functionalities which could be applied to the healthcare domainand provide invaluable services. Healthcare revolves around confidential patient information which raises skepticism about the natural heterogenous devices and network infrastructure IoT relies upon in terms of security and privacy. This research aims to identify the impact of IoT and how privacy is included in the field of cybersecurity in Sweden's elderly care. Researchers, security experts, and IT departments may utilize the research to evaluate the advantages and issues of realizing IoT in elderly care. The research is based upon a systematic literature review, the data were acquired and collected using three different index services. The services were ACM digital library, IEEExplorer, and ScienceDirect. The acquired articles were then analyzed using thematic coding based on the user-centric aligned McCumber Cube framework. This provided relevant themes based on the framework and relevant articles to the research aim. In total, the review provided 47 articles, divided into three themes that connected nine categories. When the thematic coding had been applied, the study could provide feasible answers to the research aim. The study showed that privacy aligns with cybersecurity and personal information, it was barely accounted for in personal communication and behavior.

Population aging is one of the major challenges facing the world. In particular, the advent of China’s aging society caused by various factors will be a major threat to its future development. Therefore, serious measures need to be taken to achieve its demographic sustainability. Smart furniture can be considered as a novel subcategory of gerontechnology. One of the main outcomes of the EU-funded REACH project was a variety of smart furniture named Personalized Intelligent Interior Units (PI2Us) which served as the key component of a distributed intelligent home to promote the health and activity level of older adults. This outcome can potentially be a solution to mitigate the consequences caused by population aging. In order to understand the attitudes and opinions of Chinese older adults towards the relevant technologies, the authors conducted an opinion survey using the PI2Us as an example, which sampled more than 380 older adults in 26 out of 34 provincial-level administrative divisions of China. The survey showed that Chinese older adults in general have a highly positive attitude towards smart furniture and smart home technologies. Several other insights also can be revealed from the survey. Based on further analyses, the paper summarized why the elderly-oriented smart furniture and distributed intelligent home has the potential to thrive in China’s market soon. Finally, a three-year project action plan for implementing localized solutions in cooperation with a large Chinese furniture manufacturer was presented.

An increasing number of people with dementia live at home, despite psychosocial and medical conditions, with an increasing burden for the informal caregivers as a result. Behavioural changes, such as wandering, sundowning, and agitation, are important predictors for caregiver burnout, with institutionalization of people with dementia as a result. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the challenges people with dementia living at home and their informal caregivers experience during the night, that can contribute to the development of technolog-ical interventions. Semi-structured interviews with people with dementia and their informal caregivers were combined with a focus group with formal caregiv-ers, resulting in an empathy map of people with dementia and their informal car-ers. Improving the knowledge about the importance of good sleep and opening up the discussion about sleep will increase the potential for tackling problems related to sleep for both people with dementia and their carers. Structure in day and night activities, both physical and mental, seem crucial for sleep quality. Also, a person-centred approach in dementia care is evident. Personal habits and behaviours of people suffering from dementia must be collected and well-docu-mented in time, and shared with those involved in determining the person-centred dementia care, and developing supportive technologies. Refereed/Peer-reviewed Version of record

The prevalence of cognitive impairment and illness increases with age. For older adults, maintaining or improving health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the early stages of cognitive impairment is important to prevent consequences related to the progression of the condition. This thesis aims to identify factors affecting HRQoL and describe how mHealth technology can support HRQoL in older adults with cognitive impairment. Four studies were conducted using quantitative and qualitative approaches. A cross-sectional design was used to identify factors affecting older adults’ HRQoL (Study I) and investigate the relationship between mHealth technology use and self-rated quality of life (QoL) (Study III). A phenomenographical design was used to describe variations in older adults’ perceptions of mHealth technology and its impact on HRQoL (Study II). A prospective longitudinal design was used to examine older adults’ HRQoL changes over time (Study IV). Participants were selected from two longitudinal population studies using a purposive sampling strategy to include those aged 55 years and above with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. Data were obtained from questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Data from the quantitative studies were analysed using statistical analysis, including descriptive and comparative analysis and regression analysis, while data from the qualitative study were examined using phenomenographical analysis in consecutive steps. The results showed that most older adults experienced good HRQoL with regard to both physical and mental health. The likelihood of having good-to-excellent QoL increased with age and was higher among males and those with higher education levels. Those diagnosed with dementia reported poorer HRQoL. Factors associated with low HRQoL included dependency in activities of daily living, receiving informal care and feelings of loneliness and pain. The use of mHealth technology was perceived as supportive in maintaining social interactions and facilitating independent living. The technology literacy levels among the study sample varied significantly. Those who reported having moderate-to-high technical skills and using the internet regularly via mHealth technology had higher odds of experiencing good-to-excellent QoL. No significant changes were observed in the older adults’ HRQoL over time in relation to the non-use and use of a customized mHealth application. The indicators of HRQoL are clinically relevant for the secondary prevention of dementia to help maintain good HRQoL in older adults with incipient cognitive impairment. The technology-related differences reflect the risk of digital exclusion. To improve preconditions for being digitally involved in society, societal initiatives that aim to empower the technology literacy level of older adults are needed.

Aim: The aim was to explore the association between internet use, the use of specific internet-based activities and perceiving life as meaningful, among older adults in two regions in Finland and Sweden. Methods: The data was collected through a population-based survey ( N = 9386) as part of the GERDA project conducted in 2016. In order to analyse the associations between perceiving life as meaningful and internet use and related activities, odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval were calculated using binary logistic regression analysis, where socio-demographic factors and health status were controlled for. Results: Statistically significant associations were found between perceiving life as meaningful and internet use in later life. When looking further at the specific internet-based activities under study, activities related to leisure and entertainment showed a statistically significant connection to perceived meaningfulness in later life, after controlling for socio-demographic factors and health status. Conclusions: The results indicated that there was a statistically significant positive association between internet use and perceiving life as meaningful in later life. Online activities related to leisure and entertainment seem to be especially associated with perceived meaningfulness. Although causal direction could not be determined, the results suggest that internet use may support the experience of wellbeing in everyday life among older persons, through the unlimited access to interest-driven activities that it provides.

Tez No: 764594 Tüm insanlar doğarlar, yaşarlar ve ölürler. İnsan ömrünün aşamaları; çocukluk, gençlik, yetişkinlik ve yaşlılıktır. İnsan ömrünün son evresi olan yaşlılık dönemindefiziksel, zihinsel, sosyolojik, psikolojik birçok sorun ortaya çıkmaktadır. Bu gibi sorunlarlakarşılaşan yaşlılar gündelik işlerini yapamaz duruma gelmekte, kendi kendilerineyetememekte ve başka insanlara muhtaç hâle gelmektedirler. Bu durumdemografikdönüşüm yaşayan ülkelerde bu sorunlara çözüm üretme ve yaşlıları için politikalaroluşturma mecburiyeti doğurmuştur. 21. yüzyılın ön önemli sorunlarından birisi yaşlı nüfusun artmasıdır. Doğumoranlarında azalma ve sağlık sektörünün hızla gelişmesi gibi nedenlerden dolayı gelişmişülkelerde insanların yaşam süreleri uzamakta ve yaşlı nüfusta artış meydana gelmektedir. Türkiye’de nüfusun genç olması bu konunun daha geç gündeme gelmesine sebep olmuştur. Yaşlılığın günümüzde önemli bir sorun haline gelmesi tüm ülkelerin dikkatini buyöneçekmektedir. Yaşlılık süresince insanlar dışlanma, ayrımcılık, teknolojiye ayakuyduramama gibi çeşitli sorunlarla karşılaşmaktadırlar. Maruz kalınan bu sorunlarçalışmamızın dikkat çekmeyi amaçladığı noktalardandır. Gelişmiş ülkelerde teknolojinin yaşamın her alanına girmesi ve hızla değişmesi, toplumdaki değerlerin farklılaşmasına yol açmaktadır. Geleneksel toplumlarda geniş aileyapısından dolayı yaşlılar önemli bir konumdaydı. Teknolojinin gelişmesi, sanayileşme, kentleşme, kırdan kente göç, kadınların çalışma hayatına girmesi, geniş aile tipininçekirdek aileye dönüşümü gibi nedenlerle yaşlılar toplum içinde önemini yitirmiş veheralanda eşitsizliklere ve ayrımcılığa maruz kalmaya başlamışlardır. Teknolojide bunlardanbir tanesidir. Özellikle COVID-19 salgın döneminde kent yaşamının kısıtlanması veteknolojik cihazların kullanımındaki artış ile beraber yaşlıların bu konudaki yaşadığı iii sorunları daha çok su yüzüne çıkmıştır. Teknolojinin hızı, sürekli değişmesi ve insanlarınbu değişime ayak uydurmak zorunda kalmaları tüketici bir toplum yaratmakta, yaşlılarınise; emeklilik ile birlikte üretim sürecinin dışında kalmaları, işlevsizleştirilmeleri vetüketici topluma da ayak uyduramamaları nedeniyle ayrımcılığa uğramaları kaçınılmazhâle gelmektedir. Bu çalışmada toplumda dezavantajlı konumdaki yaşlıların teknoloji karşısındayaşadığın sorunlar ve bu sorunlardan dolayı ayrımcılığa ve dışlanmaya maruz kalmaları elealınmıştır. Çalışmada yaşlanma ve yaşlılık kavramları, ayrımcılık, dışlanmavegeronteknoloji üzerinde durulmuştur. Sonrasında Konya ilindeki yaşlılar ile yüzyüzegörüşmeler yapılıp, yaşlıların teknoloji karşısında yaşadığı sorunlar ve bu bağlamdaayrımcılığa maruz kaldıkları belirlenmiştir. Çalışmamızda en alt sınır olarak 65yaşı seçmemizin nedeni Dünya Sağlık Örgütü’nün 65 yaş ve üzeri bireyleri yaşlı olaraktanımlamasıdır (WHO). Son bölümde ise öneriler sıralanmıştır All people are born, then live and die. Stages of human life are childhood, youth, adulthood and old age. In old age, which is the last stage of human life, many physical, mental, sociological and psychological problems arise. The elderly who encounter suchproblems become unable to do their daily work, cannot be self-sufficient andbecomedependent on other people. In countries experiencing demographic transformation, it hasbecome obligatory to find solutions to these problems and to create policies for the elderly. One of the most important problems of the twenty-first century is the increaseintheelderly population. Due to reasons such as the decrease in birth rates and the rapiddevelopment of the health services, the life expectancy of people in developed countriesincreases and there is an increase in the elderly population. The young populationinTurkey has caused this issue to come to the fore later. The fact that aging has becomeanimportant problem today draws the attention of all countries in this direction. Duringoldage, people face various problems such as exclusion, discrimination, and inabilitytokeepup with technology. These problems are among the points that our study aims todrawattention to. In developed countries, the penetration of technology into all areas of life anditsrapid change lead to the differentiation of values in the society. In traditional societies, theelderly were in an important position due to the large family structure. Withthedevelopment of technology, industrialization, urbanization, migration fromrural tourban, women's axcess to working life, and the transformation of the large family type intothenuclear family, the elderly have lost their importance in the society and have beguntobeexposed to inequalities and discrimination in every field. Technology is one of them. Especially during the COVID-19 epidemic period, with the restriction of urban life andthe vincrease in the use of technological devices, the problems of the elderly in this regardhavebecome more apparent. The speed of technology, its constant change and the fact that people have to keep up with this change create a consumer society. With retirement, it becomes inevitable for them to be discriminated against because they are excludedfromthe production process, become dysfunctional and cannot keep up with the consumersociety.In my study, the problems experienced by the disadvantaged elderly people intheface of technology and their exposure to discrimination and exclusion due totheseproblems are discussed. In the study, the concepts of aging and old age, discrimination, exclusion and gerontechnology are emphasized. Afterwards, face-to-face interviews wereconducted with the elderly people in Konya and it was determined that the elderlypeopleexperienced problems with technology and that they were exposed to discriminationinthiscontext. The reason why we chose 65 as the lowest limit in our study is that the WorldHealth Organization defines individuals aged 65 and over as elderly (WHO). Inthelast section, recommendations are listed.

BACKGROUND: Despite the prevalence of publications focusing on the trends of the studies on ergonomics, the information of the aging focused studies within these publications is limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to provide general information regarding the trends of the studies on ergonomics and aging by using bibliometric analysis techniques and to provide a general view regarding to the development of this field. METHODS: The bibliometric data of the publications on ergonomics and aging were retrieved from the WOS Database and analysed by using the Bibliometrix extension of the R Packet Programme. For the visualisation of the bibliometric data, the Vosviewer programme was used. RESULTS: Analysis results of the 405 papers published between the years of 1979 and 2020 show that main themes were digital human modelling, design for all, workplace ergonomics, transport and vehicle design, kitchen design, human factors, care and vision in old age. CONCLUSIONS: The content of the studies on ergonomics and aging changed from basic elements of ergonomic design for older people to the investigations about computer-aided applications and the effect of the developing technology. Therefore, it can be said that the studies on ergonomics and aging are changing parallel to the development of the technology.

Malaysia is set to become an ageing population by 2030, when older people aged 65 years and above will constitute over 7% of the total population. In a bid to prepare for rapid ageing, Monash University Malaysia took the lead to establish the Gerontechnology Laboratory in 2016, the first of its kind in Malaysia. The aims of the Gerontechnology Laboratory are to translate research into new products, change existing business models and services, and shape public policies to improve the health and wellbeing of older people and those who care for them. The Gerontechnology Laboratory is a multidisciplinary research platform that brings together students, researchers, business partners, universities, government and the broader community to lead on research and innovations for older people within the five domains of human activity: health and self-esteem, housing and daily living, mobility and transport, communication and governance, and work and leisure. The lab also serves as a centre for education and training, assessment and consultation concerning gerontechnology, home safety, and independent living environment. Examples of external engagement include Gerontechnology Symposium (2017, 2018), Monash-Petrosains Gerontechnology Challenge (2018) and Monash Gerontechnology Lab Volunteer Community (2017-present). At the international level, the Monash University Malaysia’s Gerontechnology Lab was recognised as one of 21 international AACSB Innovations that Inspire 2019. This seminar will share how Monash University Malaysia builds the gerontechnology hub and leads the research and development for the study of gerontechnology in Malaysia.

Objective: To explore the Chinese community-dwelling intention of older adults to adopt gerontechnology and its influencing factors.Design: A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design with an inductive approach was employed. In phase 1, a self-made questionnaire was administered from August 2018 to December 2019. Multifactor logistic regression was used to analyze the adoption intention and factors influencing the use of gerontechnology. In phase 2, participants completed a semistructured interview to explore the adoption intention of a specific form of gerontechnology, Smart Aged Care Platform, from May to July 2020.Setting: Twelve communities in three districts of Chongqing, China.Participants: Community-dwelling older adults were included.Results: A total of 1,180 older adults completed the quantitative study; two-thirds of them (68.7%) showed adoption intention toward gerontechnology. Nineteen participants (10 users and nine nonusers) completed the qualitative study and four themes were explored. Through a summarized understanding of the qualitative and quantitative data, a conceptual model of influencing factors, namely, predictive, enabling, and need factors, was constructed.Conclusions: This study reveals that most Chinese community-dwelling older adults welcome the emergence of new technologies. However, there was a significant difference in the adoption intention of gerontechnology in Chinese community-dwelling older adults based on their sociodemographic and psychographic characteristics. Our findings extend previous technology acceptance models and theories and contribute to the existing resource base.

There has been a subsequent increase in the number of elderly people living alone, with contribution from advancement in medicine and technology. However, hospitals and nursing homes are crowded, expensive, and uncomfortable, while personal caretakers are expensive and few in number. Home monitoring technologies are therefore on the rise. In this study, we propose an anonymous elderly monitoring system to track potential risks in everyday activities such as sleep, medication, shower, and food intake using a smartphone application. We design and implement an activity visualization and notification strategy method to identify risks easily and quickly. For evaluation, we added risky situations in an activity dataset from a real-life experiment with the elderly and conducted a user study using the proposed method and two other methods varying in visualization and notification techniques. With our proposed method, 75.2% of the risks were successfully identified, while 68.5% and 65.8% were identified with other methods. The average time taken to respond to notification was 176.46 min with the proposed method, compared to 201.42 and 176.9 min with other methods. Moreover, the interface analyzing and reporting time was also lower (28 s) in the proposed method compared to 38 and 54 s in other methods.

In this article we look at the home as an arena for care by exploring how care robots and technological care-systems can become part of older adults’ lives. We investigate the domestication of robot technology in the context of what in Scandinavia is called “welfare technology” (relating to the terms “gerontechnology” and “Active Assisted Living,”) that especially aims to mitigate older adults´ challenges with living in their own homes. Through our case study, we investigate a system called eWare, where a flowerpot robot called “Tessa” works in symbiosis with a sensor technology “SensaraCare.” Together, they create a socio-technical ecosystem involving older adult end-users living at home, formal caregivers (e.g. healthcare workers), and informal caregivers (normally family members). We analyze our ethnographic fieldwork through the theoretical concept of “domestication of technology,” focusing on an established three-dimensional model that includes practical, symbolic, and cognitive levels of analysis. We found that social bonds and different ways of using the same technology ecosystem were crucial, and so we supplement this model by suggesting a fourth dimension, which we term the social dimension of the domestication of technology. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC-BY license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Background If technologies are to support aging in place, then it is important to develop fundamental knowledge on what causes stability and changes in the use of technologies by seniors. However, longitudinal studies on the long-term use of technologies that have been accepted into the home (i.e., post-implementation use) are very scarce. Many factors potentially could influence post-implementation use, including life events, age-related decline, changes in personal goal orientation, and various types of social influences. The aforementioned factors are likely to be interrelated, adding to the complexity. The goal of this study is to better understand changes and stability in the use of technologies by independent-living seniors, by using a dynamical systems theory approach. Methods A longitudinal qualitative field study was conducted involving home visits to 33 community-dwelling seniors in the Netherlands, on three occasions (2012–2014). Interviews were held on technology usage patterns, including reasons for stable, increased, declined and stopped use. Technologies were included if they required electric power in order to function, were intended to be used in or around the home, and could support activities of daily living, personal health or safety, mobility, communication, and physical activity. Thematic analysis was employed, using constant case comparison to better understand dynamics and interplay between factors. In total, 148 technology use patterns by 33 participants were analyzed. Results A core of six interrelated factors was closely linked to the frequency of technology use: emotional attachment, need compatibility, cues to use, proficiency to use, input of resources, and support. Additionally, disruptive forces (e.g., social influences, competition with alternative means, changes of personal needs) could induce change by affecting these six factors. Furthermore, long-term technology use was in some cases more resilient to disruption than in other cases. Findings were accumulated in a new framework: Dynamics In Technology Use by Seniors (DITUS). Conclusions Similar to aging, the use of technologies by older people is complex, dynamic and personal. Periods of stability and change both occur naturally. The DITUS framework can aid in understanding stability and instability of technology use, and in developing and implementing sustainable technological solutions for aging in place. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12877-019-1241-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Along with the increase in the elderly population and the prolongation of the life expectancy, the societies need to be prepared for this development. Maintaining the health and quality of life of an aging society is of social and economic importance. It is emphasized that having a chance to live a longer life compared to the old days will not be meaningful without increasing the quality of life and that the health expectancy is much more important than the life expectancy. In this context, the concept of "Geronteknoloji" is a concept that has been proposed for the design of new products and services for elderly people, which is a combination of gerontology and technology sciences. Increasing use of technology facilitates access to health services for the elderly and increases quality of life. This study was planned and conducted to determine the level of interest in gerontontology of individuals with cardiovascular disorders and the impact of gerontological products on their quality of life. An information form which includes descriptive characteristics of the participants and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Elderly Module (WHOQOL-OLD) to assess the quality of life were used to collect the research data. As a result of the research; It was determined that 91.7% of the participants had never heard the term gerontology before, but 79.2% had confidence in the presence of the device they carried in their bodies. The vast majority of participants view the technology as moderate. Using technology products to remind them of 97.9% of their drug time, the participants think that technology makes daily life easier. More than half of the participants stated that their quality of life was changed in a delightful way, considering that their quality of life was affected in part by positive feedback after the devices they used.

Older adults experience difficulties in their daily lives as their health deteriorates. Gerontechnology (the compilation of terms “gerontology” and “technology”) helps in the resolution of problems faced by older adults by improving their quality of life and, above all, developing tools to facilitate the access of older adults to all goods, services and infrastructure, which is also the understanding of the term used in this paper. The article mainly aimed to assess the selected gerontechnology that improved the quality of life of older adults in terms of different criteria, namely, innovation, demand, socioethics, usability, and functionality. It also analysed whether the respondent's age and gender had any influence on the assessment. Care robots were chosen from among the variety of gerontechnologies. The survey was conducted in the first quarter of 2018 and involved 643 people from different voivodships of Poland. Two types of questionnaires were designed. The electronic form of the survey was distributed using social media and snowball techniques, and the paper form was sent by traditional post to all nursing homes in Poland.

The communicative, informative, leisure, entertainment and utilitarian variables are sources of cultural and social opportunities in improving the quality of life in the context of successful aging. The purpose of the study was to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics and adoption of communication and information technologies through the use of cell phones and access to the Internet linked to the daily life of elderly people who participate in the Sport and Health in the Best Age Program in the municipality of Dois Irmãos, RS . The method presents a quantitative and descriptive cross-sectional design. The study sample consisted of 35 elderly people of both sexes, who regularly attend the activities of gymnastics and volleyball adapted for the elderly, promoted by the Program. The results concerning the use of the Internet in the group investigated reveal a considerable percentage of elderly people who do not have access to the Internet through the cellular apparatus and use the tool to connect and receive calls and eventually send text messages. However, the experiences identified by the study participants revealed the involvement of 57.6% of the age group with the use of the Internet in the mobile device as a source of opportunities to improve the level of family and social interaction conditions, optimize free time and promote cognitive stimulation. We conclude that these experiences provide better cognitive performance. The elderly have the possibility to stimulate memory, build and improve knowledge and promote life habits that contribute to successful aging.

Background: Demographic trends indicate growth of population aged 65 and older in Western countries. One of the greatest challenges is to provide high-quality care for all. Technological solutions designed for older people, gerontechnology, can somewhat balance the gap between resources and the increasing demand of healthcare services. However, there are also ethical issues in the use of gerontechnology that need to be pointed out. Purpose: To describe what ethical issues are related to the use of gerontechnology in the care of community-dwelling older people. Methods: A scoping review was performed to identify and analyse studies concerning ethical issues when using gerontechnology in the home care of older people. The literature search was limited to studies published after 1990 and addressed to the electronic databases CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane, Medic, IEEE Explore and Web of Science. The search was performed in July−August 2018. Data from empirical studies were analysed using thematic analysis. Ethical considerations: This scoping review was conducted in accordance with good scientific practice. The work of other researchers was respected and cited appropriately. Results: A total of 17 studies were identified. Two main themes were found. ‘Balancing between the benefits of using gerontechnology and the basic rights of older people’, consisted of the subthemes safety, privacy and autonomy. The other main theme, ‘Gerontechnology as a risk of insecurity for older people’, included the subthemes fear of losing human contact and concern and fear. Surveillance and monitoring technologies were mainly studied. Conclusion: These results suggest that there may be ethical issues related to the use of gerontechnology and they must therefore be taken into consideration when implementing technology in the care of community-dwelling older people.

Trust in technology is an important factor for the design and use of technology in general. While there is growing interest in the role of trust on this general level, so far little attention has been given to the particularities of trust in persuasive technologies, i.e. technologies that serve to persuade users into certain behaviours. Those technologies are increasingly targeting the older adults, posing ethical questions that ask for sensitive investigation of trust. Here, we explore the specific character of trust in persuasive gerontechnology. We argue that the question of how to establish trust in technology, how to make trust lasting and enduring, requires considering user-centric and institution-centric approaches, and suggest an approach that is sensitive to wider social and institutional factors. The impact that persuasive gerontechnology can have depends on whether people can trust them, the designers, or the overall system. Drawing on studies of determinants of institutional trust, we identify four main strategies that can inform designers, technology assessors and policy makers in building trust between technology and users: (1) creating novel institutions, (2) creating incentives, (3) providing guarantees, and (4) ensuring transparency. We conclude the discussion with suggestions regarding future directions in researching trust and persuasive technology.

In this article, the gerontological factors affecting the successful aging of the elderly have been uncovered, the quality of life and successful aging issues have been related to gerontology and investigated on a different dimension. It has been emphasized that the importance of gerontechnology on the successful aging, creation of awareness through formal and non-formal education, qualitative and quantitative researches should be increased. Qualitative and quantitative researches on the subject were evaluated together, gerontology and gerontechnology were considered together with successful aging, and gerontology functions and ergonomics should be taken into consideration in increasing quality of life. In addition, the concept of geronsafety, a new concept in gerontology, has been put forward, emphasizing the effects of safety on gerontology and successful aging.